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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. file — a tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. current — of water
  8. mug — a face
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. current — happening now
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lean — thin
  17. mug — to rob
  18. current — electric
  19. file — a document
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lean — to bend
  24. file — a line of people

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