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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 120 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: chest · mark · suit · object · current · kick · pop · wax

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. suit — clothes
  4. object — to protest
  5. current — electric
  6. object — an aim
  7. wax — to grow
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pop — soda
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. kick — in football
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. mark — a trace
  23. suit — in cards
  24. object — a thing

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