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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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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: dip · mug · current · lie · prune · land · object · last

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. land — a country
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mug — a face
  5. current — electric
  6. object — a thing
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lie — to recline
  12. land — ground
  13. object — to protest
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. current — of water
  16. last — final
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. object — an aim
  20. land — to come down
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — a cup
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lie — an untruth

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