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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. land — a country
  4. current — of water
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bark — to shout
  8. current — electric
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. band — a ring
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. current — happening now
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. band — a music group
  24. mine — for digging

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