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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mate — a partner
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. firm — a company
  7. rash — hasty
  8. firm — steady
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. firm — decided
  13. bulb — for light
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. kid — to tease
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mate — a friend
  20. file — a line of people
  21. current — electric
  22. kid — child
  23. rash — a series
  24. mate — to breed

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