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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tube — a container
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. current — electric
  6. mark — a grade
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. kid — to tease
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. kid — child
  17. tube — the underground
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mark — a trace

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