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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tube — a container
  3. row — to paddle
  4. current — electric
  5. craft — boats
  6. wax — to grow
  7. content — the amount
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bore — to drill
  11. current — of water
  12. row — a line
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. spell — magic
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. current — happening now
  19. content — happy
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spell — letters

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