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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. current — electric
  4. shower — to wash
  5. last — finally
  6. current — of water
  7. rest — what's left
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. shower — rain
  12. rest — what's left
  13. last — final
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. last — to go on
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pop — to visit
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. current — happening now
  23. pop — soda
  24. rest — a break

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