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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. current — happening now
  3. stand — to bear
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. current — electric
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. present — there
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. dip — to sink
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. foot — a measure
  20. present — the time now
  21. current — of water
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. present — a gift

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