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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — electric
  6. land — a country
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. land — ground
  12. bass — low music
  13. land — to come down
  14. current — happening now
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. row — a line
  19. rock — a stone
  20. row — to paddle
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rock — music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. current — of water

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