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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. current — electric
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. current — of water
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. capital — a city
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wake — a trail
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. current — happening now
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. capital — money

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