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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wax — to grow
  9. current — of water
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. present — a gift
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. present — the time now
  18. tube — a container
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pop — music
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. current — electric
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. present — there

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