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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. current — happening now
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. drill — army training
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. craft — boats
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. drill — a practice
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. craft — a skill
  24. straw — a straw man

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