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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. lean — thin
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stem — to come from
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rule — a law
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. current — happening now
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lean — to bend
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rule — government
  18. cap — a lid
  19. current — of water
  20. branch — a division
  21. cap — a hat
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. racket — a loud noise

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