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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. present — there
  7. land — ground
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. land — to come down
  12. stem — to come from
  13. current — electric
  14. present — a gift
  15. mate — to breed
  16. current — happening now
  17. land — a country
  18. swing — to play on
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. swing — music
  21. present — the time now
  22. swing — in golf
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. current — of water

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