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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. land — a country
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. land — to come down
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. staff — a stick
  15. current — of water
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. staff — employees
  20. content — happy
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. land — ground

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