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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rest — a break
  7. key — in music
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wake — a trail
  14. current — of water
  15. key — for a lock
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. craft — a skill
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. craft — boats
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bat — the animal

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