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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. hand — help
  3. rest — what's left
  4. current — happening now
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mate — a partner
  17. current — of water
  18. cue — a signal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. row — a line
  24. hand — in cards

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