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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. current — electric
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. land — to come down
  7. current — of water
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mug — a face
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. land — ground
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. current — happening now
  18. rock — a stone
  19. land — a country
  20. fall — the season
  21. mug — a cup
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. fan — a supporter

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