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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. spring — a coil
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. current — of water
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stock — goods
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. spring — the season
  10. current — electric
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stock — shares
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. current — happening now
  19. tube — a container
  20. spring — of water
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. tube — in a tire

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