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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wax — to grow
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. current — happening now
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. current — electric
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. current — of water
  24. straw — dry grass

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