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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. current — of water
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. craft — boats
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. craft — a skill
  14. current — happening now
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rash — a series
  18. bat — the animal
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. perch — the fish
  21. current — electric
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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