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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 116 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. content — the amount
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mark — a trace
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. current — of water
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. firm — decided
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. last — finally
  15. current — happening now
  16. firm — steady
  17. last — to go on
  18. current — electric
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cap — of ice
  22. content — happy
  23. firm — a company
  24. last — final

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