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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wound — an injury
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. chip — to eat
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. board — a committee
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chip — for betting
  16. current — happening now
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pop — soda
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. stand — for spectators

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