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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. current — electric
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bulb — for light
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. board — to get on
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — of water
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. board — a committee
  24. current — happening now

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