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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. band — a ring
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a music group
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rest — a break
  8. current — electric
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. track — to keep track
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. current — of water
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a song
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rest — what's left
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. can — to be able to
  22. track — a path
  23. rest — what's left
  24. current — happening now

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