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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. hand — help
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. hand — in cards
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bear — the animal
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. hand — part of the body

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