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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 124 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kid — to tease
  4. current — happening now
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stem — to come from
  9. roll — a list
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ground — crushed
  12. roll — a cake
  13. lie — to recline
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. current — electric
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ground — a position
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ground — the earth
  21. kid — child
  22. tube — a container
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. tube — the underground

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