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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. current — happening now
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — ground
  9. cap — of ice
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. plane — a tool
  12. land — a country
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. board — a committee
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wax — to grow
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. land — to come down
  21. cap — a lid
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cap — a hat
  24. board — to get on

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