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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. row — a line
  3. rash — a series
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. current — electric
  6. firm — steady
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. plane — a tool
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. firm — decided
  17. row — to paddle
  18. current — happening now
  19. wax — to grow
  20. perch — the fish
  21. firm — a company
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rash — hasty
  24. plane — an aircraft

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