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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. net — after costs
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. net — for catching
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bulb — for light
  16. clip — for paper
  17. current — of water
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. current — happening now
  22. toast — bread
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. net — in sport

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