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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — to come from
  7. board — to get on
  8. face — to point toward
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. current — electric
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. current — of water
  15. shower — rain
  16. face — to confront
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wax — to grow
  20. current — happening now
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. board — a committee

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