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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bank — for money
  4. face — part of the head
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. kick — in football
  8. stem — to come from
  9. kid — child
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bank — of a river
  12. current — electric
  13. rock — music
  14. face — to confront
  15. rock — a stone
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wound — an injury
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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