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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spell — a short time
  3. kick — in football
  4. spell — letters
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. track — a song
  7. spell — magic
  8. current — happening now
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. current — of water
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. track — to keep track
  14. squash — the sport
  15. track — a path
  16. wake — a trail
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stem — to come from
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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