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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. file — a tool
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — happening now
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. hand — in cards
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. charge — in control
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — of water
  18. lie — to recline
  19. current — electric
  20. charge — a price
  21. file — a document
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ball — a great time
  24. file — a line of people

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