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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. band — a ring
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. band — a music group
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wax — to grow
  12. object — to protest
  13. sharp — clever
  14. saw — the tool
  15. object — a thing
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. current — electric
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. object — an aim
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wax — in the ear

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