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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. land — a country
  5. bass — the fish
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. saw — the tool
  9. land — to come down
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. squash — the sport
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lean — thin
  14. current — electric
  15. land — ground
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lean — to bend
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. squash — to crush
  24. saw — the tool

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