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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 120 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. land — ground
  2. last — finally
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. charge — a price
  5. last — final
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. current — of water
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. last — to go on
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. current — electric
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. current — happening now
  17. wake — a trail
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stem — to come from
  23. land — to come down
  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