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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fine — high quality
  6. object — to protest
  7. track — a path
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. object — an aim
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fine — all right
  13. object — a thing
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. current — of water
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. current — happening now
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. current — electric
  22. wind — moving air
  23. track — a song
  24. ruler — for measuring

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