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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. land — ground
  5. lie — to recline
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. ball — a dance
  8. land — a country
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. last — to go on
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. current — happening now
  13. last — final
  14. current — of water
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — to come down
  17. current — electric
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. last — finally

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