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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. current — electric
  3. rule — a law
  4. stem — to come from
  5. current — of water
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. hand — help
  8. rule — government
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. current — happening now
  14. court — for sport
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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