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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. current — happening now
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. kid — to tease
  10. last — to go on
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lie — to recline
  13. current — of water
  14. last — final
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. last — finally
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. scale — size or range
  23. kid — child
  24. scale — in music

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