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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cold — an illness
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cue — a signal
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. current — electric
  13. pass — a permit
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cold — not warm
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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