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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: face · squash · can · current · wind · spring · bulb · deal

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wind — moving air
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wind — moving air
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. spring — of water
  9. bulb — for light
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — to confront
  14. can — a tin
  15. current — of water
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. face — part of the head
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. can — to be able to
  23. current — happening now
  24. deal — a big deal

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