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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rule — government
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. kid — to tease
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. object — a thing
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. current — of water
  11. rule — a law
  12. lean — thin
  13. mate — a friend
  14. lean — to bend
  15. kid — child
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. current — happening now
  18. object — to protest
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — electric
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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