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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. current — electric
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spell — a short time
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. spell — magic
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stem — to come from
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tube — a container
  15. rash — hasty
  16. current — of water
  17. rash — a series
  18. current — happening now
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. spell — letters
  22. bear — the animal
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bear — the animal

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