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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. current — of water
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. firm — steady
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. current — electric
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. band — a music group
  12. firm — decided
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. band — a ring
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. file — a document
  19. current — happening now
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cell — a phone
  22. file — a tool
  23. firm — a company
  24. wax — for sculpting

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