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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. swing — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. current — electric
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. season — in sport
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. current — of water
  12. season — of the year
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. current — happening now
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wound — an injury

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