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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. current — of water
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. tube — the underground
  7. object — a thing
  8. pound — a weight
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — hurry
  12. object — to protest
  13. current — happening now
  14. object — an aim
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tube — a container
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. current — electric
  24. nail — for a hammer

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