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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. content — happy
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. current — of water
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rash — a series
  15. wax — to grow
  16. current — happening now
  17. content — the amount
  18. current — electric
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rest — what's left

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