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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stem — to come from
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. current — electric
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. current — of water
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. last — to go on
  11. field — a subject
  12. land — ground
  13. last — finally
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. field — farmland
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — to bear
  20. field — for sport
  21. land — a country
  22. current — happening now
  23. saw — the tool
  24. land — to come down

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