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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stem — to come from
  3. current — happening now
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. firm — steady
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bulb — for light
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. deal — a big deal

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