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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. wax — to grow
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. ball — a dance
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ball — a great time
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rush — hurry
  16. craft — a skill
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. current — electric
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. craft — boats
  23. last — final
  24. ball — a round shape

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