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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. current — of water
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. current — happening now
  12. rock — music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. kick — in football
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — to grow
  23. current — electric
  24. sharp — clever

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