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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. current — electric
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. current — happening now
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. land — to come down
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bound — obliged
  17. land — a country
  18. bound — certain
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. land — ground
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wax — to grow

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