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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. scale — size or range
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stem — to come from
  11. scale — in music
  12. field — a subject
  13. charge — in control
  14. field — for sport
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. current — electric
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fall — the season
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. field — farmland
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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