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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. can — a tin
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bank — for money
  5. current — electric
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bank — for money
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. current — happening now
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. can — a tin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. current — of water
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bank — of a river
  21. drill — the tool
  22. deal — to handle
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. drill — army training

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