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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. current — happening now
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rash — a series
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stock — shares
  10. file — a document
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stock — goods
  13. current — electric
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. file — a line of people
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. current — of water
  20. chair — a leader
  21. file — a tool
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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