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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. current — electric
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — there
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wax — to grow
  11. chair — a leader
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. present — the time now
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. present — a gift
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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