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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spell — a short time
  7. key — for a lock
  8. last — finally
  9. key — the most important part
  10. last — final
  11. suit — in cards
  12. current — happening now
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. last — to go on
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. current — of water
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. key — in music
  22. spell — letters
  23. suit — clothes
  24. spell — magic

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