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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. squash — to crush
  3. current — of water
  4. date — the fruit
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. band — a music group
  8. current — electric
  9. land — ground
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. band — a ring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. current — happening now
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bulb — for light
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. safe — a strongbox

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