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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pop — music
  4. file — a document
  5. current — of water
  6. file — a tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. current — electric
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pop — soda
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. file — a line of people
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lash — an eyelash

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