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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mate — a friend
  3. current — of water
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. current — electric
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mate — to breed
  13. chest — a box
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mine — for digging
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. current — happening now
  19. game — a match
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mine — an explosive

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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