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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. current — of water
  5. wax — to grow
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. current — happening now
  13. craft — a skill
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. current — electric
  21. chest — a box
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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