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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bulb — for light
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — a face
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cue — a signal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cap — a lid
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cap — a hat

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