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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stand — to bear
  3. craft — boats
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. current — of water
  12. ball — a great time
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. current — happening now

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