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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: current · bat · bulb · nail · cabinet · wake · season · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wake — a trail
  4. current — electric
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. season — of the year
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. current — of water
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — in sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. current — happening now
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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