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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: current · wind · bulb · drill · kid · fan · mug · squash

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. drill — a practice
  6. current — electric
  7. kid — child
  8. wind — moving air
  9. current — happening now
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. current — of water
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mug — to rob
  16. drill — army training
  17. squash — the sport
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. drill — the tool
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mug — a cup

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