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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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. wind — to turn a key
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. current — electric
  7. rash — a series
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. current — of water
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. current — happening now
  24. ball — a dance

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