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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 124 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. current — of water
  4. mate — a friend
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wax — to grow
  13. current — happening now
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cap — a hat
  17. board — to get on
  18. current — electric
  19. deal — to handle
  20. kid — child
  21. mate — a partner
  22. board — a committee
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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