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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. spell — a short time
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. land — ground
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. spell — magic
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spell — letters
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. land — to come down
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bulb — for light
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. current — happening now
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. land — a country
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. plane — a tool
  22. current — electric
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lash — to lash out

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