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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fall — to drop
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wax — to grow
  5. roll — a cake
  6. kick — in football
  7. mug — a face
  8. fall — the season
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mug — a cup
  12. fall — to drop
  13. band — a ring
  14. current — of water
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. current — happening now
  18. roll — a list
  19. band — a music group
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mug — to rob
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. kick — a thrill

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