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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bulb — for light
  12. current — happening now
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. drill — the tool
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. drill — army training
  22. current — electric
  23. drill — a practice
  24. current — of water

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