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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. plane — a tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cold — an illness
  9. current — electric
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — a thing
  14. cap — of ice
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. current — of water
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. current — happening now
  21. cap — a hat
  22. object — to protest
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fork — in a road

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