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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. season — in sport
  6. rule — government
  7. season — of the year
  8. current — happening now
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. capital — money
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. current — of water
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. current — electric
  20. mate — a partner
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stem — a stem cell

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