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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. pop — to visit
  5. current — electric
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pop — music
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. dip — to sink
  15. current — happening now
  16. track — a song
  17. wax — to grow
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pop — soda
  20. track — a path
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. current — of water
  23. toast — bread
  24. pit — in a race

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