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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. ground — a position
  3. spell — magic
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. current — happening now
  6. bank — for money
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bank — for money
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. firm — steady
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bank — of a river
  14. current — electric
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ground — the earth
  17. firm — decided
  18. wax — to grow
  19. drill — army training
  20. firm — a company
  21. current — of water
  22. drill — a practice
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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