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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fall — the season
  3. staff — a stick
  4. date — the fruit
  5. band — a ring
  6. staff — employees
  7. fall — to drop
  8. staff — employees
  9. current — of water
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spring — the season
  13. current — happening now
  14. band — a music group
  15. mark — a trace
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bulb — for light
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. current — electric

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