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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. land — to come down
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. current — of water
  8. fork — in a road
  9. land — a country
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. land — ground
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. ground — a position
  17. spring — of water
  18. bore — to tire
  19. current — electric
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lie — to recline
  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