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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cold — not warm
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. current — happening now
  6. cold — an illness
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. current — of water
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — electric
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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