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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stand — to bear
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bound — tied together
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bulb — for light
  16. current — electric
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bound — certain
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. current — happening now

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