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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pop — soda
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stem — to come from
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. file — a document
  12. pop — to visit
  13. perch — the fish
  14. current — electric
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pop — music
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. snap — to click
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. file — a tool

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