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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — the arms race
  5. current — of water
  6. charge — a price
  7. lean — thin
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. drill — the tool
  10. current — electric
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. file — a document
  13. bark — to shout
  14. drill — army training
  15. file — a line of people
  16. current — happening now
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bulb — for light
  19. race — a contest
  20. file — a tool
  21. charge — in control
  22. race — humankind
  23. charge — electricity
  24. drill — a practice

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