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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. current — happening now
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. clip — for paper
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. current — of water
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. present — a gift
  16. current — electric
  17. staff — a stick
  18. present — there
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  24. jam — in traffic

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