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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bulb — for light
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. current — of water
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bulb — for light
  7. dip — to sink
  8. land — ground
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. current — electric
  11. track — a path
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. track — a song
  15. fall — to drop
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. drill — army training
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. current — happening now
  22. fall — the season
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. land — to come down

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