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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. current — electric
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cap — of ice
  10. deal — to handle
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. cap — a lid
  18. deal — an agreement

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