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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. hand — help
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. current — happening now
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wax — to grow
  12. branch — a division
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. current — electric
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. current — of water
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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