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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. mug — to rob
  5. roll — a cake
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mug — a face
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mate — a friend
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wax — to grow
  13. spell — magic
  14. roll — a list
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. current — happening now
  17. lean — thin
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mug — a cup

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