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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. current — electric
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mug — a face
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mug — a cup
  9. current — of water
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. capital — money
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. current — happening now
  19. capital — a city
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lean — thin

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