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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. current — electric
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. current — of water
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. current — happening now
  10. season — of the year
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. lean — thin
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rush — hurry
  21. season — in sport
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rush — to hurry

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