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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. root — the cause
  3. current — electric
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. current — of water
  6. face — part of the head
  7. key — for a lock
  8. land — a country
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bound — certain
  11. face — to confront
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — final
  14. key — in music
  15. last — to go on
  16. root — of a plant
  17. land — ground
  18. root — of a word
  19. bound — tied together
  20. current — happening now
  21. bound — obliged
  22. face — to point toward
  23. last — finally
  24. land — to come down

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