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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. field — farmland
  3. bulb — for light
  4. current — happening now
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. current — electric
  7. field — a subject
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lean — thin
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. row — a line
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lean — to bend
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. field — for sport
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — of water
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. staff — a stick
  22. row — to paddle
  23. staff — employees
  24. lash — an eyelash

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