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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wax — to grow
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fine — high quality
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. dip — to sink
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. current — electric
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chip — for betting

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