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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 120 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bound — obliged
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bound — certain
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bound — tied together
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. track — a path
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. track — a song
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. spring — a coil
  23. suit — to fit
  24. current — of water

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