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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. current — of water
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fall — the season
  6. rock — music
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ball — a dance
  10. current — electric
  11. content — happy
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bulb — for light
  19. current — happening now
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. content — the amount
  23. fall — to drop
  24. sharp — exactly

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