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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — a series
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. rash — hasty
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. object — to protest
  13. current — electric
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — a division
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. current — of water
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. current — happening now

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