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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. swing — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. current — electric
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ball — a great time
  7. file — a document
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. swing — in golf
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. current — happening now
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kick — in football
  19. current — of water
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. file — a tool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ball — a dance
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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