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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rule — a law
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. current — of water
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rule — government
  18. firm — decided
  19. staff — employees
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mug — to rob
  22. staff — employees
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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