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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. spell — letters
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rash — a series
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. shower — to wash
  16. sharp — clever
  17. current — electric
  18. shower — rain
  19. current — happening now
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. spell — magic
  23. rash — hasty
  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