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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.

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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. fall — to drop
  8. current — electric
  9. sharp — clever
  10. deal — to handle
  11. current — of water
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. object — a thing
  14. mug — to rob
  15. current — happening now
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mug — a face
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fall — the season
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fall — to drop

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