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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. current — electric
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. current — happening now
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. track — a song
  20. current — of water
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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