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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. current — electric
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stem — to come from
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. object — a thing
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. object — an aim
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. object — to protest
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fork — in a road
  23. band — a ring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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