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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. shower — rain
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. kid — child
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. kid — to tease
  12. current — of water
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tube — a container
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tube — the underground
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fine — all right

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