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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. land — to come down
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. current — of water
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. land — a country
  13. ball — a dance
  14. land — ground
  15. fine — all right
  16. current — electric
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. current — happening now
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cell — in biology
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. fine — high quality

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