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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 were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wax — to grow
  5. current — happening now
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. squash — the sport
  10. can — to be able to
  11. current — electric
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. current — of water
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. can — a tin
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. kick — with a leg

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