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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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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 · bat · ground · face · current · snap · bulb · pop

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pop — music
  4. ground — a position
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. face — part of the head
  7. current — happening now
  8. ground — the earth
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bat — the animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. current — of water
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. face — to confront
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. current — electric
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rush — hurry
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. pop — soda
  24. bat — in an idiom

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