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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. clip — to cut
  3. current — of water
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. current — happening now
  7. wax — to grow
  8. current — electric
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. branch — a division
  11. clip — a video
  12. key — for a lock
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. key — in music
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. clip — for paper
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wax — for sculpting

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