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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. current — happening now
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wake — a trail
  14. current — electric
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. staff — employees
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. current — of water

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