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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. content — happy
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. current — happening now
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. current — electric
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. current — of water
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. content — the amount

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