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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ball — a great time
  3. current — happening now
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ball — a dance
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — to grow
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. current — of water
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. deal — to handle
  23. current — electric
  24. can — a tin

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