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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pop — soda
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — clever
  13. spell — magic
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bank — of a river
  16. current — happening now
  17. stem — to come from
  18. spell — letters
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — a short time
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pop — music

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