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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. current — electric
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. current — of water
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. land — ground
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bear — the animal

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