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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. chip — to eat
  14. row — a line
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. current — electric
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chip — for betting

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