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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. land — to come down
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. current — electric
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wax — to grow
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — ground
  17. dip — to sink
  18. land — a country

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