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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. current — of water
  4. bulb — for light
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. last — to go on
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. root — the cause
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. deal — to handle
  16. last — final
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. last — finally
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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