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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. current — happening now
  3. rash — a series
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rash — hasty
  8. game — a match
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bore — to drill
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lean — thin
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lean — to bend

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