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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wax — to grow
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. current — of water
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. snap — to click
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ball — a great time
  13. current — happening now
  14. cap — of ice
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ball — a dance
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. current — electric

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