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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. current — of water
  3. file — a tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stock — goods
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. current — electric
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stock — shares
  19. current — happening now
  20. mug — a face
  21. mate — a friend
  22. file — a document
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. file — a line of people

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