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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. current — electric
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. current — of water
  17. wax — to grow
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bulb — for light
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. current — happening now
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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