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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.

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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: sharp · bulb · current · can · fall · bear · spring · squash

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — the sport
  4. current — of water
  5. squash — to crush
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. spring — of water
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. current — happening now
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. current — electric

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