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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. squash — to crush
  4. current — happening now
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. squash — the sport
  8. current — of water
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. shower — to wash
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. shower — rain
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. current — electric
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bulb — of a plant

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