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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. last — finally
  3. mate — a friend
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. last — to go on
  6. wax — to grow
  7. land — to come down
  8. tube — a container
  9. current — happening now
  10. content — the amount
  11. current — of water
  12. land — a country
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. spell — magic
  15. mate — to breed
  16. tube — the underground
  17. current — electric
  18. spell — letters
  19. land — ground
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. content — happy
  23. mate — a partner
  24. last — final

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