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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. current — of water
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — electric
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — happening now
  10. staff — employees
  11. cold — an illness
  12. fine — high quality
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fine — all right
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. staff — employees
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. fine — a penalty

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