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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. deal — to handle
  9. land — a country
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. craft — boats
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. current — of water
  17. stem — to come from
  18. land — to come down
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — ground
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bank — for money
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. tear — to rip

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