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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. charge — in control
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wake — a trail
  5. present — a gift
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. current — electric
  8. bat — the animal
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. charge — electricity
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. charge — a price
  14. bulb — for light
  15. present — the time now
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. present — there
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. current — happening now
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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