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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bore — to drill
  4. current — electric
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. game — a match
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — low music
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. game — wild animals
  18. saw — the tool
  19. kick — in football
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bore — gave birth

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