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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. current — electric
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. key — the most important part
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. tube — the underground
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. tube — a container
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. current — of water
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. current — happening now
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pitcher — a jug

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