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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. can — a tin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. current — happening now
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cold — an illness
  10. swing — music
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. can — to be able to
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. deal — to handle
  20. swing — to play on
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cold — not warm
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. ruler — for measuring

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