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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. sharp — clever
  3. field — farmland
  4. current — happening now
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tube — the underground
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. current — of water
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. field — a subject
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. field — for sport
  18. lie — to recline
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stem — to come from
  22. tube — a container
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. lie — an untruth

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