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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — for catching
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bulb — for light
  5. current — of water
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. current — electric
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rule — a law
  10. hand — help
  11. rule — government
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. current — happening now
  14. hand — in cards
  15. net — after costs
  16. vault — a safe
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — in sport
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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