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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. current — of water
  3. tear — from crying
  4. staff — employees
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. current — happening now
  14. wax — to grow
  15. tear — from crying
  16. current — electric
  17. tear — to rip
  18. staff — employees
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. staff — a stick
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stem — of a plant

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