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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lie — to recline
  4. land — a country
  5. bat — the animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. staff — employees
  9. mug — to rob
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. mug — a cup
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. current — electric
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fork — in a road
  22. land — ground
  23. mug — a face
  24. bat — for baseball

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