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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. track — a song
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rock — a stone
  13. current — happening now
  14. pass — a permit
  15. snap — to click
  16. track — to keep track
  17. current — of water
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. track — a path
  23. current — electric
  24. rock — music

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