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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — not warm
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. current — electric
  7. stem — to come from
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. current — of water
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rule — a law
  13. plane — a tool
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rule — government
  16. current — happening now
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. craft — boats
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stem — of a plant

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