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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ground — crushed
  7. tube — a container
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wax — to grow
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. current — electric
  14. ground — a position
  15. clip — a video
  16. current — of water
  17. clip — to cut
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. suit — to fit
  20. plane — a tool
  21. clip — for paper
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. ground — the earth

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