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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fall — to drop
  5. row — a line
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hand — help
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. current — happening now
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. row — to paddle
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. hand — in cards
  19. current — of water
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. snap — to click
  23. fall — the season
  24. row — a quarrel

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