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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rest — a break
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. current — electric
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. perch — the fish
  17. deal — to handle
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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