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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. track — a path
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bulb — for light
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. track — to keep track
  8. current — of water
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. kid — child
  11. stem — to come from
  12. clip — a video
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — for light
  15. clip — to cut
  16. current — happening now
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. clip — for paper
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — electric
  24. track — a song

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