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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 116 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. current — electric
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. current — happening now
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. game — a match
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. current — of water
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mouse — the animal
  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