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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rule — a law
  3. current — of water
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rock — music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rule — government
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. land — ground
  12. degree — from a university
  13. face — part of the head
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rock — a stone
  16. current — electric
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. face — to point toward
  19. land — a country
  20. current — happening now
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. degree — temperature
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. face — to confront

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