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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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hand — in cards
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wax — to grow
  13. current — happening now
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. saw — the tool
  18. current — of water
  19. hand — help
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bound — certain
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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