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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. current — happening now
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. current — electric
  5. bulb — for light
  6. root — of a word
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. root — of a plant
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. root — the cause
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cap — a hat
  19. current — of water
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bulb — for light
  23. snap — to click
  24. rash — a series

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