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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
468
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 · lie · mug · kick · fine · current · straw · cap

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fine — all right
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mug — a face
  10. current — electric
  11. mug — a cup
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cap — a hat
  14. current — of water
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. current — happening now
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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