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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lean — thin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. game — a match
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. current — of water
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. current — electric
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. game — wild animals

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