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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chest — a box
  3. staff — employees
  4. current — electric
  5. wax — to grow
  6. chest — of your body
  7. current — happening now
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fine — all right
  12. bass — the fish
  13. staff — employees
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. current — of water
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. object — an aim
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bass — low music
  23. rest — a break
  24. chest — of your body

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