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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wound — an injury
  3. land — ground
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. current — electric
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. current — of water
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. land — to come down
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. land — a country

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