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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wind — moving air
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. current — of water
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tube — a container
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. game — a match
  16. tear — to rip
  17. game — wild animals
  18. tube — the underground
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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