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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 124 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. track — a song
  5. current — electric
  6. spell — letters
  7. season — in sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. track — a path
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — happening now
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. season — of the year
  14. board — a committee
  15. wound — an injury
  16. current — of water
  17. track — to keep track
  18. board — to get on
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. season — to add flavour

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