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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rash — a series
  6. face — to point toward
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. face — part of the head
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. land — to come down
  14. swing — music
  15. face — to confront
  16. stem — to come from
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rash — hasty
  21. land — a country
  22. track — a song
  23. land — ground
  24. current — electric

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