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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. spell — letters
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spell — magic
  14. current — of water
  15. spell — a short time
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wax — to grow
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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