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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fall — the season
  3. mark — a grade
  4. current — electric
  5. net — after costs
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. current — happening now
  8. net — in sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fine — high quality
  11. current — of water
  12. stem — to come from
  13. net — for catching
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — clever
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fall — to drop
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mark — a trace

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