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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ball — a dance
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wax — to grow
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. branch — a division
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stock — shares
  15. current — happening now
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. current — electric
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stock — goods

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