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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cue — for pool
  3. current — electric
  4. dip — to sink
  5. current — of water
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. present — the time now
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lean — thin
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. present — there
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chip — for betting
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. current — happening now

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