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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. current — happening now
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. firm — decided
  10. spring — the season
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spring — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bore — to drill
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bore — to tire
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. current — of water
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. straw — a straw man

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