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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 124 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. current — electric
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. firm — decided
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. staff — employees
  7. club — a group
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stem — to come from
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lie — to recline
  13. current — happening now
  14. club — for golf
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. firm — a company
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pass — a permit
  19. current — of water
  20. sharp — clever
  21. firm — steady
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. staff — employees
  24. club — for dancing

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