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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 · suit · temple · squash · bulb · march · kick · cabinet

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. suit — to fit
  3. current — of water
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. march — the month
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — in football
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. march — music
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. current — happening now
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. squash — to crush
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. current — electric
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. march — the month

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