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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bear — the animal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. current — of water
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. current — happening now
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. capital — a city
  21. current — electric
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. capital — money

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