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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: fall · fan · current · suit · rush · bulb · wound · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. current — electric
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. current — of water
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fall — the season
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — happening now
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rush — hurry
  24. suit — in cards

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