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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bulb — for light
  3. track — a path
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. track — a song
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. current — electric
  15. tear — from crying
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — happening now
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tear — to rip

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