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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — of water
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to click
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. kid — child
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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