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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — a safe
  3. current — electric
  4. wax — to grow
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. last — finally
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bulb — for light
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. current — of water
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rule — a law
  23. current — happening now
  24. wind — moving air

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