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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. current — happening now
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. kick — in football
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — of water
  11. pit — in a race
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. current — electric
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. branch — a division
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. branch — of a bank

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