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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 120 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. current — electric
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. current — of water
  7. last — final
  8. tube — a container
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. last — to go on
  12. current — happening now
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. last — finally
  16. tube — the underground
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. squash — to crush
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wax — to grow
  24. suit — to fit

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