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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mug — a face
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — of water
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cold — not warm
  13. pop — music
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mark — a grade
  16. current — happening now
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pop — to visit
  19. current — electric
  20. pop — soda
  21. bound — certain
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cold — the Cold War

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