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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. court — of law
  4. rule — government
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. court — for sport
  8. current — of water
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wax — to grow
  11. court — of a king
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rule — a law
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. scale — in music

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