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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. kid — child
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitch — completely
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — happening now
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. current — of water
  18. kid — to tease
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. current — electric

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