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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 116 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stock — shares
  3. current — electric
  4. sharp — clever
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bound — certain
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. current — happening now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — of water
  14. stock — goods
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bound — tied together
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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