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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 120 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. charge — in control
  3. game — a match
  4. chest — a box
  5. mate — to breed
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cap — a hat
  8. charge — electricity
  9. current — of water
  10. charge — a price
  11. chest — of your body
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cap — a lid
  14. current — electric
  15. mate — a partner
  16. current — happening now
  17. game — wild animals
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mate — a friend
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wax — for sculpting

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