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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bulb — for light
  5. current — electric
  6. race — a contest
  7. cue — for pool
  8. mug — to rob
  9. race — humankind
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cue — a signal
  14. current — of water
  15. cold — not warm
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. mug — a face
  20. current — happening now
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mug — a cup

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