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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rest — what's left
  3. current — electric
  4. date — the fruit
  5. current — happening now
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. current — of water
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rest — a break
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bulb — for light
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wake — before a funeral

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