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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitch — completely
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. row — a line
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. row — to paddle
  17. current — electric
  18. rest — what's left
  19. dip — to sink
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rest — a break
  22. bulb — for light
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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