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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. saw — the tool
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wind — moving air
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wind — moving air
  8. current — happening now
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wax — for sculpting

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