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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. current — of water
  7. stock — goods
  8. current — happening now
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. sharp — clever
  16. spell — magic
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. spell — letters

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