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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wax — to grow
  3. track — a path
  4. current — of water
  5. track — a song
  6. scale — in music
  7. press — a publisher
  8. track — to keep track
  9. current — electric
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. scale — size or range
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. suit — to fit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. current — happening now
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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