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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cue — a hint
  3. can — a tin
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. current — of water
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cap — a hat
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. charge — a price
  12. cue — for pool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. charge — in control
  19. branch — a division
  20. row — a line
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — of a tree

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