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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. current — happening now
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — an illness
  7. object — an aim
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. current — electric
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — of water
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. clip — a video
  21. object — to protest
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cold — the Cold War

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