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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. current — of water
  3. bear — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mate — a partner
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wax — to grow
  15. current — electric
  16. cold — not warm
  17. mate — to breed
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. current — happening now
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cold — an illness

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