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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chest — of your body
  4. swing — to play on
  5. row — to paddle
  6. current — happening now
  7. swing — in golf
  8. face — to confront
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. face — to point toward
  15. swing — music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bear — the animal
  21. row — a line
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bear — the animal
  24. current — of water

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