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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wind — moving air
  8. current — of water
  9. sharp — clever
  10. current — happening now
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ground — crushed
  14. tube — a container
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tube — the underground
  21. current — electric
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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