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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. current — electric
  3. suit — to fit
  4. foot — a measure
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. current — of water
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rash — hasty
  15. current — happening now
  16. wax — to grow
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wake — a trail
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rash — a series

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