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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cap — a lid
  3. lean — thin
  4. cap — a hat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. firm — decided
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cap — of ice
  10. firm — a company
  11. fine — high quality
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lean — to bend
  17. firm — steady
  18. current — happening now
  19. fine — all right
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. land — to come down
  23. current — electric
  24. chip — in a computer

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