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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. board — to get on
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. current — of water
  12. roll — a list
  13. board — a committee
  14. current — electric
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. roll — a cake
  23. current — happening now
  24. bulb — for light

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