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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. tube — a container
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spring — the season
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spring — a coil
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. current — electric
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spring — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. foot — a measure

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