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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stem — to come from
  5. can — a tin
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. bound — tied together
  9. net — for catching
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bound — obliged
  12. net — after costs
  13. can — a tin
  14. net — in sport
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. snap — to click
  22. bound — certain
  23. court — of a king
  24. current — happening now

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