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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. race — humankind
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. current — happening now
  8. march — the month
  9. current — of water
  10. race — the arms race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. march — music
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. march — the month
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. current — electric
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stem — to come from
  22. race — a contest
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wave — with your hand

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