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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rush — hurry
  3. current — of water
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stem — to come from
  6. current — happening now
  7. swing — in golf
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. current — electric
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lie — to recline
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. swing — music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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