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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. current — of water
  3. bore — to tire
  4. land — ground
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. current — happening now
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. land — a country
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. shower — to wash
  20. current — electric
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. shower — rain
  24. mine — for digging

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