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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. object — to protest
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — of water
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rest — what's left
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. key — in music
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. current — electric
  15. rest — a break
  16. object — a thing
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bulb — for light
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. current — happening now
  22. object — an aim
  23. cap — of ice
  24. key — for a lock

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