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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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468
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. object — an aim
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. present — a gift
  5. current — electric
  6. present — there
  7. cold — not warm
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. present — the time now
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. current — of water
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. current — happening now
  19. object — to protest
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fine — all right
  22. bear — the animal
  23. object — a thing
  24. cold — an illness

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