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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. current — of water
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. can — a tin
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wake — a trail
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. can — a tin
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. lean — to bend
  20. hand — in cards
  21. current — happening now
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. current — electric
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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