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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. degree — an amount
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bore — to tire
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. current — happening now
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rush — hurry
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bore — to drill
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. track — a song
  19. current — of water
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. can — a tin
  22. track — a path
  23. degree — temperature
  24. wax — in the ear

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