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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hand — help
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bulb — for light
  9. current — electric
  10. fall — to drop
  11. current — happening now
  12. stock — goods
  13. degree — from a university
  14. current — of water
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fall — the season
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stock — shares
  23. degree — temperature
  24. hand — in cards

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