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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. current — happening now
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. kick — in football
  6. mark — a trace
  7. current — of water
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stem — to come from
  12. season — of the year
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. current — electric
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. season — in sport

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