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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 120 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. current — of water
  3. staff — employees
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — the animal
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. current — electric
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. staff — a stick
  21. suit — in cards
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. current — happening now

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