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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. perch — the fish
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. current — electric
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spring — of water
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mug — a cup
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mug — a face
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bulb — for light
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. current — happening now
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. current — of water
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spring — the season
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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