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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cap — a hat
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cap — a lid
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wake — a trail
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. current — happening now
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. current — of water
  15. bulb — for light
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. band — a music group
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. cap — of ice
  20. dip — to sink
  21. current — electric
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — moving air
  24. band — a ring

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