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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. land — a country
  3. stock — goods
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bulb — for light
  7. current — happening now
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. stock — shares
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. current — electric
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. current — of water
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wave — of the sea

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