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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. track — a path
  4. staff — employees
  5. craft — a skill
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fall — the season
  12. craft — boats
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wind — moving air
  15. staff — employees
  16. wind — moving air
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. current — of water
  24. wind — to turn a key

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