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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ground — a position
  4. track — a song
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. current — of water
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. current — happening now
  11. cue — for pool
  12. track — a path
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ground — crushed
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cue — a hint
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wax — to grow
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cue — a signal
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. band — a music group
  24. current — electric

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