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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wake — a trail
  7. land — to come down
  8. current — of water
  9. snap — to click
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. current — electric
  15. land — a country
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pound — a weight
  19. can — a tin
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. current — happening now
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. land — ground
  24. pound — to hit hard

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