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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. stand — to bear
  3. current — happening now
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mine — for digging
  6. current — of water
  7. cell — a phone
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bulb — for light
  10. current — electric
  11. charge — a price
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. charge — electricity
  16. ground — a position
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. charge — in control
  23. rest — a break
  24. cell — in biology

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