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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. present — there
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. present — the time now
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. current — happening now
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. present — a gift
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fine — high quality
  17. current — of water
  18. fine — all right
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pass — a permit
  21. current — electric
  22. stem — to come from
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. dip — to dunk

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