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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bore — to drill
  7. current — electric
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. land — a country
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. current — of water
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. current — happening now
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. land — ground
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. land — to come down

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