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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wax — to grow
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. land — ground
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. land — a country
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kid — child
  19. current — electric
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. perch — the fish
  22. current — happening now
  23. land — to come down
  24. kid — to tease

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