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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mate — to breed
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mate — a partner
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mate — a friend
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. board — to get on
  15. current — of water
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. current — happening now
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chest — a box
  22. board — a committee
  23. stem — to come from
  24. trunk — of a car

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