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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cell — a phone
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rush — hurry
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. current — electric
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. march — the month
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. march — music
  14. cell — in biology
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. current — happening now
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bulb — for light
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. march — the month
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. degree — temperature
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rush — a thrill

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