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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bass — low music
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. bore — to tire
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bore — to drill
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. current — electric
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. current — happening now
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. current — of water
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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