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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. current — happening now
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wax — to grow
  12. field — a subject
  13. mug — a face
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fork — in a road
  17. current — electric
  18. field — for sport
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. field — farmland
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. fork — to eat with

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