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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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. straw — a straw man
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bulb — for light
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. land — to come down
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wake — a trail

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