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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. land — ground
  7. shower — rain
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — to wash
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mate — a friend
  13. land — a country
  14. track — a path
  15. mate — a partner
  16. track — a song
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mate — to breed
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. current — electric
  23. land — to come down
  24. can — a tin

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