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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. spring — the season
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. spring — a coil
  6. land — a country
  7. current — electric
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. current — of water
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. club — for dancing
  12. spring — of water
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mate — a partner
  15. land — to come down
  16. club — for golf
  17. mate — to breed
  18. club — a group
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. land — ground
  21. current — happening now
  22. mate — a friend
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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