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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. current — happening now
  3. spring — of water
  4. staff — employees
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. current — of water
  7. staff — a stick
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kid — to tease
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. suit — to fit
  16. craft — boats
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. current — electric
  19. kid — child
  20. toast — bread
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stem — to come from
  24. suit — clothes

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