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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mug — a cup
  5. current — of water
  6. snap — to click
  7. mug — to rob
  8. current — electric
  9. bank — for money
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bank — for money
  19. current — happening now
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mug — a face
  24. temple — a place of worship

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