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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fall — the season
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pop — soda
  9. stem — to come from
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pop — music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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