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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.

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: staff · lean · current · fine · content · bulb · rush · wound

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fine — all right
  4. current — electric
  5. lean — thin
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. current — happening now
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fine — high quality
  10. staff — employees
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — happy
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. content — the amount
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. current — of water
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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