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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · current · cell · land · pound · bulb · pitcher · hide

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. land — a country
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. current — of water
  8. land — ground
  9. cell — a phone
  10. current — electric
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — to come down
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pound — a weight
  17. current — happening now
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cell — in a prison
  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