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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bear — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. current — electric
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — music
  11. march — the month
  12. root — of a word
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. current — happening now
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. hide — to keep secret

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