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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. swing — music
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. swing — in golf
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cell — a phone
  10. current — happening now
  11. bore — to drill
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. band — a music group
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. plane — a tool
  19. current — of water
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. current — electric
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mark — a grade
  24. swing — to play on

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