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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cold — an illness
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cold — not warm
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. current — happening now
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. court — of a king
  13. current — of water
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. court — of law
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. court — for sport
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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