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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — electric
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — clever
  8. current — happening now
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pop — to visit
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. current — of water
  16. pop — soda
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pop — music
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. stem — a stem cell

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