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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. ball — a dance
  3. current — electric
  4. row — a line
  5. lie — to recline
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. row — to paddle
  11. snap — to click
  12. current — of water
  13. can — to be able to
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ball — a great time
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. can — a tin
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. current — happening now

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