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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fine — high quality
  4. file — a tool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fine — all right
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. file — a line of people
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stem — to come from
  16. face — part of the head
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. face — to confront
  20. current — electric
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. file — a document
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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