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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 116 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. squash — the sport
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — electric
  10. wind — moving air
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. firm — decided
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. firm — steady
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rest — what's left
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. firm — a company
  22. rest — a break
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bulb — for light

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