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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. court — of law
  9. current — happening now
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fall — to drop
  16. court — for sport
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. court — of a king
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fall — the season
  24. lean — thin

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