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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. current — happening now
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. object — an aim
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pop — music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. object — to protest
  13. mine — for digging
  14. current — electric
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pop — soda
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. object — a thing
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pop — to visit

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