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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. current — happening now
  4. land — ground
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. board — to get on
  7. land — to come down
  8. drill — army training
  9. current — of water
  10. drill — a practice
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — a country
  14. drill — the tool
  15. board — a committee
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. chip — for betting
  20. current — electric
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stem — to come from
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bank — for money

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