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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wax — to grow
  8. current — of water
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pit — a hole
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. current — happening now
  19. mug — a face
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wax — in the ear

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