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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. current — electric
  3. staff — employees
  4. current — of water
  5. lean — to bend
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. court — for sport
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. court — of a king
  13. lean — thin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. chair — to sit on

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