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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. current — of water
  4. net — for catching
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kid — to tease
  7. net — after costs
  8. current — happening now
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. kid — child
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. net — in sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. snap — to click
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. current — electric
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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