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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. last — to go on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. last — final
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. current — of water
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. current — electric
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. charge — a price
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. last — finally
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. current — happening now
  24. stem — to come from

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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