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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. current — happening now
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mate — to breed
  14. current — electric
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. current — of water
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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