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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. land — ground
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. roll — a cake
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. current — electric
  9. fall — the season
  10. roll — a list
  11. charge — in control
  12. land — to come down
  13. net — for catching
  14. land — a country
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. net — after costs
  19. current — of water
  20. charge — a price
  21. lie — to recline
  22. charge — electricity
  23. net — in sport
  24. current — happening now

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