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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. current — happening now
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bulb — for light
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. current — of water
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. current — electric
  17. bank — of a river
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — for money
  21. bulb — for light
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wind — moving air
  24. snap — to click

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