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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. current — of water
  9. content — happy
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. current — electric
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. current — happening now
  24. content — the amount

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