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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. current — electric
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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