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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. current — electric
  3. net — for catching
  4. drill — a practice
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. spring — a coil
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. current — happening now
  12. land — a country
  13. net — in sport
  14. spring — of water
  15. drill — army training
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. suit — in cards
  18. current — of water
  19. land — to come down
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. land — ground
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. net — after costs

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