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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: rule · sharp · deal · lean · rash · current · bulb · spring

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lean — thin
  5. rule — government
  6. spring — the season
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rash — a series
  16. current — happening now
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. current — electric
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bulb — for light

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