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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. last — final
  5. bear — the animal
  6. last — finally
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. current — electric
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. present — there
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. present — the time now
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. present — a gift
  19. last — to go on
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. degree — from a university

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