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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. current — of water
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hand — in cards
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. hand — help
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fork — in a road
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fall — the season
  24. hide — animal skin

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