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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rest — a break
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lean — to bend
  6. kick — in football
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ground — the earth
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ground — a position
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. ball — a great time

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