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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. land — ground
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. rock — music
  14. content — happy
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. land — to come down
  18. content — the amount
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. current — of water
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. land — a country
  24. rock — a stone

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