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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 124 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bore — to tire
  3. current — happening now
  4. file — a document
  5. current — of water
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stem — to come from
  9. branch — a division
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. current — electric
  14. cell — in biology
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cell — a phone
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. file — a tool
  24. rush — a thrill

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