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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. last — final
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. last — to go on
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. last — finally
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cap — a hat
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. mate — a partner
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mate — a friend

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