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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. charge — in control
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. swing — music
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. current — of water
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. current — electric
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. swing — to play on
  22. land — ground
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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