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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. current — electric
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. content — the amount
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. current — of water
  22. wax — to grow
  23. content — happy
  24. current — happening now

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