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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cell — a phone
  4. current — of water
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. land — a country
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pop — music
  11. land — to come down
  12. pop — to visit
  13. current — electric
  14. land — ground
  15. current — happening now
  16. bound — obliged
  17. face — to confront
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bound — tied together
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pop — soda
  24. bound — certain

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