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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. shower — rain
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mug — a cup
  18. current — of water
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mug — a face
  21. current — electric
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fan — a supporter

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