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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. current — electric
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wax — to grow
  14. current — happening now
  15. suit — to fit
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. squash — the sport
  18. suit — in cards
  19. squash — to crush
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. current — of water

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