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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: rush · lie · rock · calf · cell · fan · current · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. current — electric
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. current — of water
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rock — music
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. current — happening now
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rush — a thrill

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