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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rash — hasty
  5. object — an aim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. last — finally
  10. current — of water
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mug — to rob
  16. prune — to trim
  17. object — to protest
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. object — a thing

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