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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ground — the earth
  4. current — happening now
  5. ground — a position
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wax — to grow
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. object — to protest
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tube — a container
  13. hand — help
  14. pit — in a race
  15. tube — the underground
  16. object — an aim
  17. current — of water
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. object — a thing
  20. ground — crushed
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wax — for sculpting

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