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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. current — happening now
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wake — a trail
  16. last — final
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. last — finally
  19. face — to point toward
  20. current — of water
  21. last — to go on
  22. face — to confront
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — a young animal

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