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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bass — low music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pound — a weight

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