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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 116 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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rock — music
  11. fork — in a road
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. current — of water
  17. cold — not warm
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. craft — boats
  23. current — electric
  24. craft — a skill

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