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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 124 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. current — electric
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. current — happening now
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. land — to come down
  9. bore — to drill
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pitch — completely
  13. land — ground
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bat — the animal
  17. land — a country
  18. current — of water
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bore — to tire
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. craft — boats
  24. pitch — a sports field

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