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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 116 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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wax — to grow
  8. current — happening now
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. current — of water
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. current — electric
  18. rush — to hurry

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