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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. lean — thin
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. dip — to sink
  7. content — the amount
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. current — happening now
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — of water
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. current — electric
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. content — happy
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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