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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: tube · wind · mate · ground · bulb · hide · current · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. current — electric
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. current — of water
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ground — a position
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ground — the earth
  20. tube — a container
  21. current — happening now
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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