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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. current — of water
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. drill — the tool
  7. snap — to click
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wax — to grow
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bear — the animal
  13. current — electric
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. drill — army training
  22. mark — a trace
  23. current — happening now
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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