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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 · lie · wax · firm · current · pit · date · track

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pit — a hole
  4. track — to keep track
  5. current — happening now
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lie — to recline
  8. firm — steady
  9. pit — in a race
  10. track — a path
  11. firm — decided
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. date — the fruit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. firm — a company
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. current — of water
  21. dip — to sink
  22. track — a song
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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