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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — happening now
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lean — thin
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fall — to drop
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fall — the season
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bulb — for light

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