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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hand — help
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. current — electric
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. current — happening now
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bat — the animal
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bound — certain
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hand — in cards
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bat — for baseball

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