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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. current — electric
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. chip — to eat
  5. band — a ring
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chip — for betting
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. current — happening now
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. current — of water
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bore — to drill
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rest — what's left
  19. prune — to trim
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bore — to tire

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