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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. current — electric
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wound — an injury
  14. can — a tin
  15. current — happening now
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — of water
  19. land — to come down
  20. fall — to drop
  21. kid — child
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fall — the season

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