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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. current — happening now
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. current — electric
  10. band — a ring
  11. sharp — clever
  12. band — a music group
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wax — to grow
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. kick — in football
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pass — a permit

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