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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rock — a stone
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mine — for digging
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rock — music
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mark — a grade

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