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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: object · hide · current · spell · dip · wax · bat · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. object — a thing
  3. wax — to grow
  4. spell — letters
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. object — to protest
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. current — of water
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bat — the animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. dip — to sink
  23. spell — magic
  24. hide — to keep secret

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