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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fork — in a road
  15. kid — child
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. press — to push
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. current — of water
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wave — with your hand

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