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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wind — moving air
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — happening now
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. season — of the year
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — after costs
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. tear — to rip
  20. season — in sport
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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