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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. file — a document
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. suit — in cards
  9. drill — the tool
  10. suit — clothes
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. file — a tool
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bulb — for light
  18. file — a line of people
  19. drill — army training
  20. bulb — for light
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wake — a trail
  24. suit — to fit

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