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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. current — happening now
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. current — electric
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bound — certain
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. current — of water
  24. rush — hurry

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