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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. current — electric
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fall — the season
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hand — help
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. hand — in cards
  24. date — the fruit

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