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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: current · bulb · capital · can · vault · mate · wave · row

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bulb — for light
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. vault — a safe
  7. row — a line
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. current — of water
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — a city
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mate — a partner
  19. current — electric
  20. row — to paddle
  21. can — a tin
  22. mate — to breed
  23. current — happening now
  24. can — to be able to

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