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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. file — a tool
  3. snap — to click
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cue — for pool
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. file — a document
  10. cue — a signal
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cue — a hint
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. bulb — for light

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