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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 120 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — of water
  4. land — a country
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. staff — employees
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wake — a trail
  15. current — electric
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wind — moving air
  20. staff — employees
  21. pop — to visit
  22. current — happening now
  23. bulb — for light
  24. land — ground

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