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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. current — electric
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. band — a music group
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spring — a coil
  16. current — happening now
  17. suit — clothes
  18. spring — of water
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stand — to bear
  23. spring — the season
  24. stand — on your feet

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