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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. race — humankind
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. current — electric
  13. race — the arms race
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. race — a contest
  16. present — a gift
  17. swing — music
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wound — an injury
  20. current — of water
  21. present — the time now
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. current — happening now
  24. swing — to play on

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