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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mark — a trace
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wind — moving air
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. row — a line
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. current — happening now
  11. mate — to breed
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. current — of water
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stem — to come from

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