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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. current — electric
  4. drill — the tool
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rule — government
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rule — a law
  10. current — happening now
  11. drill — army training
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. drill — a practice
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. tube — a container
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow

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