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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chest — a box
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fine — all right
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chest — of your body
  14. charge — in control
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. current — electric
  18. charge — a price
  19. current — of water
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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