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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. current — electric
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. dip — to sink
  8. current — happening now
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fall — to drop
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — to drop
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — of water
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fall — the season
  24. trunk — of a tree

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