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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fine — high quality
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. current — of water
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. spell — letters
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fine — all right
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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