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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. current — electric
  4. wake — a trail
  5. spell — a short time
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spell — letters
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. snap — to click
  14. spell — magic
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wax — to grow

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