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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. spell — magic
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cell — in biology
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. kick — in football
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. squash — the sport
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. current — electric
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. spell — letters
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wax — to grow
  21. current — of water
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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