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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bore — to drill
  5. spell — letters
  6. current — of water
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. current — happening now
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. spell — magic
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stem — to come from

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