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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. tear — from crying
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. firm — a company
  8. tear — from crying
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — a division
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. current — of water
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. suit — in cards
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. tear — to rip
  20. firm — steady
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. firm — decided
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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