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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rock — music
  7. current — of water
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. current — happening now
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stem — to come from
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rule — a law
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rule — government

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