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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. present — the time now
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wax — to grow
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. current — happening now
  12. net — after costs
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. current — electric
  16. rock — a stone
  17. current — of water
  18. rock — music
  19. bound — certain
  20. present — there
  21. net — for catching
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. present — a gift
  24. net — in sport

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