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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · hide · wax · can · roll · perch · march · squash

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. current — happening now
  3. can — to be able to
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. squash — to crush
  9. roll — a cake
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — electric
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. current — of water
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. squash — the sport
  18. perch — the fish
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. march — music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. roll — a list
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com