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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. spell — magic
  4. lie — to recline
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wax — to grow
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. current — happening now
  21. dip — to sink
  22. current — of water
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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