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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. current — of water
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — to recline
  10. current — electric
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bank — for money
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cue — for pool
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cue — a signal
  19. scale — in music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cue — a hint
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — size or range

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