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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. current — electric
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mark — a grade
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mate — to breed
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. current — happening now
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mark — a trace
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pop — soda
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. current — of water
  24. pop — music

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