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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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wax — to grow
  3. swing — in golf
  4. current — happening now
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. current — of water
  10. swing — music
  11. mate — to breed
  12. current — electric
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fall — to drop
  17. deal — to handle
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stand — to bear
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fall — the season
  24. stand — for spectators

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