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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. clip — to cut
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. face — to point toward
  10. current — happening now
  11. face — to confront
  12. capital — money
  13. object — an aim
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. clip — a video
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. current — of water
  20. clip — for paper
  21. object — to protest
  22. capital — a city
  23. wax — to grow
  24. object — a thing

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