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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stem — to come from
  6. current — happening now
  7. staff — employees
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. staff — employees
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. scale — in music
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mate — to breed
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. scale — size or range
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stem — of a plant

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