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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: suit · perch · season · current · bulb · hand · bound · snap

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — in cards
  5. season — of the year
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. snap — to click
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. hand — help
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. suit — clothes
  18. season — in sport
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bulb — of a plant

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