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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 124 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. track — to keep track
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. shower — to wash
  8. march — the month
  9. shower — rain
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wax — to grow
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. track — a song
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. march — music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tube — the underground
  22. current — happening now
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. track — a path

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