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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lie — to recline
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. current — happening now
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. last — to go on
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. last — finally
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. current — of water
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wax — to grow
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. last — final
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. hide — animal skin

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