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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. current — happening now
  7. stock — goods
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stock — shares
  10. current — electric
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. suit — clothes
  22. current — of water
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. suit — to fit

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