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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. spring — a coil
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. present — there
  6. current — electric
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. last — finally
  13. current — of water
  14. spring — of water
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. present — a gift
  17. current — happening now
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. spring — the season
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. last — to go on
  24. present — the time now

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