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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: can · fork · lash · cabinet · current · bulb · swing · lean

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. swing — music
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. current — electric
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. can — a tin
  10. current — of water
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lean — thin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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