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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. current — happening now
  3. chest — a box
  4. current — of water
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ball — a great time
  10. band — a music group
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lie — to recline
  13. band — a ring
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bulb — for light
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. current — electric
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lie — an untruth

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