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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. current — of water
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wax — to grow
  11. current — happening now
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. current — electric
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — a hat
  24. dip — to dunk

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