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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cap — of ice
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rash — a series
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — electric
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. spring — of water
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. cap — a lid
  24. suit — clothes

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