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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wax — to grow
  4. current — electric
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. firm — steady
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. firm — a company
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mine — for digging
  20. firm — decided
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fall — the season
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fall — to drop

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