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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. current — electric
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. current — happening now
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. net — after costs
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. board — to get on
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. board — a committee
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. net — in sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. firm — decided
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. current — of water
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. net — for catching

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