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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. file — a tool
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bulb — for light
  6. file — a document
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — a country
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rest — a break
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. land — to come down
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wake — a trail
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mine — for digging
  23. land — ground
  24. mark — a trace

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