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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. current — of water
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. suit — in cards
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. land — ground
  8. current — electric
  9. land — to come down
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. current — happening now
  17. land — a country
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stem — to come from
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. saw — the tool
  24. suit — to fit

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