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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. spring — a coil
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. current — happening now
  10. spring — of water
  11. race — a contest
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. march — the month
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. stem — to come from
  18. branch — a division
  19. march — the month
  20. current — electric
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spring — the season
  23. march — music
  24. race — humankind

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