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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. current — happening now
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. clip — to cut
  5. current — of water
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. clip — for paper
  9. current — electric
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rash — hasty
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. clip — a video
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rash — a series
  24. wave — of the sea

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