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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 124 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — electric
  6. mine — for digging
  7. current — of water
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fall — the season
  13. current — happening now
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cue — a hint
  18. firm — steady
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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