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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. current — happening now
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. net — in sport
  7. current — of water
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mug — to rob
  17. net — for catching
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. net — after costs
  24. calf — of the leg

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