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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. present — the time now
  3. staff — employees
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. clip — for paper
  7. present — there
  8. cap — of ice
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. clip — to cut
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. clip — a video
  16. staff — a stick
  17. current — of water
  18. staff — employees
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. present — a gift
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fan — to cool the air

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