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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
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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: plane · rash · suit · bulb · current · chair · clip · fine

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fine — all right
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — high quality
  7. clip — a video
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — a tool
  10. current — happening now
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. suit — in cards
  15. clip — for paper
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rash — a series
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. clip — to cut
  20. current — of water
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. suit — to fit

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