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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wound — an injury
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wound — an injury
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. shower — rain
  14. current — happening now
  15. mug — a face
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mug — a cup

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