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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. file — a document
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. content — happy
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. current — electric
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. staff — employees
  14. content — the amount
  15. bulb — for light
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — hurry
  19. current — happening now
  20. stem — to come from
  21. staff — employees
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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