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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. current — of water
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. current — electric
  10. lean — to bend
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. current — happening now
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lean — thin
  20. object — a thing
  21. rash — a series
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. lean — to rest against

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