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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. face — to confront
  4. chest — a box
  5. track — a path
  6. chest — of your body
  7. face — to point toward
  8. drill — the tool
  9. current — electric
  10. track — to keep track
  11. drill — army training
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — a song
  14. chest — of your body
  15. current — happening now
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rush — hurry
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. drill — a practice

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