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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. suit — clothes
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mark — a trace
  9. swing — music
  10. kid — to tease
  11. swing — to play on
  12. content — the amount
  13. swing — in golf
  14. kid — child
  15. suit — to fit
  16. current — of water
  17. rash — a series
  18. current — happening now
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rash — hasty
  22. content — happy
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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