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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rule — a law
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ground — a position
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. spell — magic
  12. current — of water
  13. craft — boats
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wax — to grow
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. craft — a skill
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wax — for sculpting

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