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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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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: date · bulb · firm · suit · current · tear · mouse · plane

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. current — of water
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bulb — for light
  7. current — electric
  8. bulb — for light
  9. firm — a company
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. firm — steady
  18. tear — from crying
  19. firm — decided
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. tear — from crying
  24. plane — in geometry

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