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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pass — a permit
  4. current — electric
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. current — of water
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — a match
  18. land — ground
  19. bulb — for light
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. current — happening now
  24. pass — to succeed

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