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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. firm — decided
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. clip — a video
  12. firm — steady
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. wax — to grow
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. clip — for paper
  20. current — happening now
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. firm — a company
  23. ball — a dance
  24. clip — to cut

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