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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. last — final
  4. current — electric
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — finally
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. last — to go on
  18. current — happening now
  19. face — to confront
  20. wax — to grow
  21. current — of water
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bulb — for light

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