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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bear — the animal
  4. roll — a cake
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. staff — a stick
  8. current — electric
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mug — a cup
  11. roll — a list
  12. mug — to rob
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mug — a face
  15. staff — employees
  16. clip — a video
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chest — a box
  20. bear — the animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. clip — for paper

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