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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. current — happening now
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. dip — to sink
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. ground — crushed
  12. current — of water
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bat — the animal
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. current — electric
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ground — a position
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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