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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. current — happening now
  3. firm — steady
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bark — to shout
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. kick — in football
  11. bulb — for light
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. current — of water
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. current — electric
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bat — for baseball

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