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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bat — the animal
  11. cue — a signal
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. current — electric
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. current — of water
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wind — moving air

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