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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mine — for digging
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. current — electric
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. current — of water
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. current — happening now
  17. net — in sport
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. net — for catching
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. net — after costs

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