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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: lie · rush · saw · last · ball · wax · dip · current

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. saw — the tool
  3. last — final
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ball — a dance
  6. last — to go on
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rush — hurry
  17. current — electric
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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