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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 120 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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mug — to rob
  4. file — a tool
  5. current — of water
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. key — in music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. key — the most important part
  12. snap — to click
  13. mug — a face
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. file — a document
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. key — for a lock
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bulb — of a plant

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