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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. drill — the tool
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — to come from
  7. current — of water
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. drill — army training
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. current — electric
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wax — to grow
  22. dip — to sink
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. chip — to eat

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