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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wax — to grow
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rule — a law
  7. swing — to play on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. saw — the tool
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. swing — music
  14. rule — government
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. current — of water
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lean — thin

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