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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. sharp — clever
  3. current — happening now
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. squash — the sport
  7. current — of water
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cap — a hat
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. cap — a lid
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rock — music
  22. club — for golf
  23. squash — to crush
  24. current — electric

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