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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. current — of water
  5. land — ground
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. current — happening now
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. current — electric
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. land — a country
  15. march — the month
  16. land — to come down
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. march — music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cabinet — ministers

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