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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. object — a thing
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. spell — letters
  9. current — of water
  10. last — to go on
  11. net — for catching
  12. last — finally
  13. current — happening now
  14. bulb — for light
  15. current — electric
  16. spell — a short time
  17. hand — help
  18. net — in sport
  19. last — final
  20. net — after costs
  21. spell — magic
  22. object — to protest
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. object — an aim

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