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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hand — help
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mark — a grade
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. hand — in cards
  17. current — of water
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. current — happening now
  22. mark — a trace
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. current — electric

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