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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · straw · spell · rule · bulb · bass · stick · object

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. object — a thing
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rule — a law
  5. current — happening now
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. current — of water
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rule — government
  11. spell — letters
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. spell — magic
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. object — to protest
  16. bulb — for light
  17. object — an aim
  18. current — electric
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bass — low music
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bass — the instrument

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