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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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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: leaves · bay · racket · current · branch · bulb · rush · wound

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. current — happening now
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rush — hurry
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. current — electric
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — of water
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. branch — a division
  24. rush — to hurry

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