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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rash — a series
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rest — a break
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. shower — rain
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. current — electric
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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