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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. current — of water
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — a trail
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. object — an aim
  9. last — final
  10. bulb — for light
  11. last — to go on
  12. land — a country
  13. drill — the tool
  14. suit — clothes
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. drill — army training
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. suit — to fit
  23. last — finally
  24. suit — in cards

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