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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cold — not warm
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lean — thin
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. current — happening now
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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