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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. current — of water
  9. rest — a break
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. saw — the tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. cold — an illness
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stem — to come from
  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