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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. staff — employees
  7. current — electric
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. staff — a stick
  11. current — of water
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rash — a series
  22. current — happening now
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. sharp — exactly

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