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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. current — electric
  4. hand — in cards
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. track — a path
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. track — to keep track
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. track — a song
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stem — to come from

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