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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · bulb · degree · bay · wind · current · last · wake

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wake — a trail
  3. last — finally
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bulb — for light
  6. last — final
  7. wind — moving air
  8. degree — temperature
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wind — moving air
  11. season — of the year
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. season — in sport
  19. current — of water
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. current — happening now
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. last — to go on

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