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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: bulb · shower · mug · key · kid · firm · current · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. kid — child
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mug — a face
  5. shower — rain
  6. mug — a cup
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. current — of water
  11. firm — steady
  12. kid — to tease
  13. key — the most important part
  14. firm — decided
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bulb — for light
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. firm — a company
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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