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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. bear — the animal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fall — to drop
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. can — a tin
  10. current — of water
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. current — electric
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. can — a tin
  18. bulb — for light

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