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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. shower — to wash
  3. chair — a leader
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. march — music
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bulb — for light
  9. current — happening now
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bulb — for light
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. current — electric
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. march — the month
  18. shower — rain
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. current — of water
  24. march — the month

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