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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bark — to shout
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kid — to tease
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. current — electric
  12. suit — to fit
  13. current — happening now
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kid — child
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. current — of water
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. row — a line

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