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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. current — of water
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — electric
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bound — certain
  21. cue — for pool
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bore — to drill
  24. dip — a sauce

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