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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cue — for pool
  3. swing — music
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cue — a hint
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. charge — a price
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. current — happening now
  14. charge — in control
  15. rash — hasty
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. current — of water
  18. rash — a series
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cue — a signal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wax — to grow

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