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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. current — of water
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wax — to grow
  8. ground — a position
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. current — electric
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ground — the earth
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. ground — crushed

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