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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. snap — to click
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lean — to bend
  5. game — a match
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. charge — in control
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — electricity
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. charge — a price
  12. lean — thin
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rash — hasty
  15. current — happening now
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. current — electric
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wax — to grow
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. game — wild animals
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rash — a series

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