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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. staff — employees
  5. current — happening now
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wax — to grow
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. staff — a stick
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. staff — employees
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. kick — in football
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. nail — for a hammer

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