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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ground — the earth
  3. current — of water
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. kid — child
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rash — hasty
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rash — a series
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. current — electric
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ground — a position
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bulb — for light
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bulb — for light

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