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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. current — happening now
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wax — to grow
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. current — of water
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mate — a friend
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mate — to breed
  16. game — a match
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. current — electric
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stock — shares
  23. kick — in football
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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