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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 124 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wax — to grow
  4. current — of water
  5. roll — a list
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. current — happening now
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. current — electric
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rash — a series
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rash — on the skin

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