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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bound — certain
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. current — electric
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bound — obliged
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. current — happening now
  21. pit — a hole
  22. current — of water
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mine — for digging

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