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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. sharp — clever
  4. current — happening now
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. file — a document
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mate — a friend
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. file — a line of people
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. file — a tool
  14. current — of water
  15. craft — boats
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wax — to grow
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. present — a gift
  20. mate — a partner
  21. current — electric
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. present — the time now

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