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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. band — a ring
  6. cue — a hint
  7. current — electric
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. current — of water
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. band — a music group
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rock — music

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