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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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 — of water
  2. craft — boats
  3. fall — the season
  4. spell — letters
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fall — to drop
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. craft — a skill
  10. current — happening now
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spell — magic
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. spell — a short time
  21. current — electric
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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