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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. saw — the tool
  3. sharp — clever
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cap — a hat
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tear — to rip
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. current — happening now
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cap — a lid
  20. current — of water
  21. tear — from crying
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stem — a stem cell

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