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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pop — music
  5. current — happening now
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. foot — a measure
  8. net — after costs
  9. rush — hurry
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pop — to visit
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. charge — a price
  15. current — of water
  16. swing — music
  17. current — electric
  18. net — for catching
  19. charge — in control
  20. pop — soda
  21. net — in sport
  22. charge — electricity
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. swing — to play on

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