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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. current — of water
  3. board — a committee
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chest — of your body
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. chest — a box
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. current — happening now
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. tube — a container
  15. current — electric
  16. board — to get on
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. chest — of your body

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