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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · pit · spell · row · wax · current · last · firm

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. row — a line
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. firm — steady
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. current — electric
  6. dip — to sink
  7. last — finally
  8. firm — decided
  9. wax — to grow
  10. last — final
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. current — of water
  13. spell — a short time
  14. current — happening now
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. spell — letters
  19. firm — a company
  20. spell — magic
  21. last — to go on
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pit — a hole
  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