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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: fine · bulb · bear · face · kick · row · current · swing

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fine — all right
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bear — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. swing — in golf
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fine — high quality
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. current — of water
  16. kick — in football
  17. swing — to play on
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bulb — for light
  20. swing — music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. face — to point toward

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