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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cue — a hint
  3. current — electric
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cell — a phone
  9. current — happening now
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cue — a signal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. current — of water
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stock — shares
  22. tear — to rip
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stock — goods

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