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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. field — a subject
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. field — farmland
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wax — to grow
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. field — for sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — of a word

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