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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lean — thin
  4. firm — decided
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. degree — from a university
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. charge — a price
  14. current — happening now
  15. firm — steady
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. march — the month
  18. lean — to bend
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bulb — for light
  23. charge — in control
  24. lean — to rest against

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