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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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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: rash · firm · content · lie · bulb · patient · current · ball

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. content — happy
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — electric
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. current — of water
  9. firm — a company
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — a series
  12. firm — steady
  13. current — happening now
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rash — hasty
  16. content — the amount
  17. firm — decided
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lie — to recline
  24. content — videos and posts

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