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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stem — to come from
  4. current — of water
  5. mug — a face
  6. spell — letters
  7. wax — to grow
  8. current — electric
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. spell — magic
  12. rash — a series
  13. spell — a short time
  14. current — happening now
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. chip — to eat
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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