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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bound — certain
  3. chest — of your body
  4. current — happening now
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stock — shares
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chest — a box
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. current — electric
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bore — to tire
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stock — goods
  24. ruler — for measuring

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