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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. spring — of water
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mug — a cup
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. current — electric
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stem — to come from
  12. current — happening now
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mug — a face
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. current — of water
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mark — a grade
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. spring — the season
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mine — for digging

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