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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. present — the time now
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. current — of water
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. present — a gift
  13. swing — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rule — government
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. present — there

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