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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. net — in sport
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rash — a series
  8. current — electric
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mug — a face
  13. current — of water
  14. net — for catching
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. current — happening now
  22. cap — a lid
  23. net — after costs
  24. stem — to come from

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