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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: row · current · band · bulb · firm · wake · trunk · rash

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. current — happening now
  4. firm — steady
  5. rash — hasty
  6. band — a music group
  7. row — a line
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — of water
  14. firm — a company
  15. row — to paddle
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. band — a ring
  22. rash — a series
  23. firm — decided
  24. trunk — of a car

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