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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 120 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cold — not warm
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. current — electric
  8. wound — an injury
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. snap — to click
  13. rock — music
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. current — happening now
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. current — of water
  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