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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. current — happening now
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tube — a container
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. current — electric
  8. pitch — completely
  9. file — a document
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. current — of water
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. spell — letters
  22. file — a tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bay — a horse colour

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