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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. current — happening now
  3. shower — rain
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stem — to come from
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spell — magic
  10. current — of water
  11. spell — letters
  12. current — electric
  13. shower — to wash
  14. chair — a leader
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fine — high quality

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