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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. court — of law
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. snap — to click
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. current — happening now
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. court — for sport
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. court — of a king
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — lets stay

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