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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. current — happening now
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bound — certain
  8. wax — to grow
  9. current — of water
  10. hand — help
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bound — tied together
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hand — in cards
  17. snap — to click
  18. current — electric
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bound — obliged

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