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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. current — happening now
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fine — all right
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pop — to visit
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bore — to drill
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fine — high quality
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pop — music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bore — to tire
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pop — soda
  23. current — electric
  24. kid — child

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