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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wax — to grow
  3. clip — a video
  4. current — electric
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. current — of water
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. present — a gift
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — the cause
  17. current — happening now
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mark — a trace
  20. root — of a word
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. clip — to cut

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