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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. face — to point toward
  4. track — to keep track
  5. charge — in control
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. face — to confront
  8. shower — rain
  9. current — electric
  10. pound — a weight
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. current — of water
  16. charge — electricity
  17. shower — to wash
  18. charge — a price
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bound — obliged
  21. track — a path
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. track — a song

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