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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pop — soda
  4. net — for catching
  5. face — to confront
  6. pop — music
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — electric
  14. net — after costs
  15. drill — army training
  16. current — of water
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bulb — for light
  21. degree — temperature
  22. net — in sport
  23. current — happening now
  24. pop — to visit

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