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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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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. firm — decided
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. firm — a company
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cell — a phone
  13. firm — steady
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wax — to grow
  22. current — happening now
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. leaves — of a tree

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