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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 120 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: rush · cap · swing · bulb · current · wave · temple · fine

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. current — electric
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. swing — music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fine — all right
  17. cap — of ice
  18. current — happening now
  19. swing — to play on
  20. current — of water
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bulb — for light
  24. swing — in golf

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