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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. current — electric
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — hurry
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. current — of water
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. current — happening now
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. drill — army training
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. saw — the tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. drill — a practice
  23. stem — to come from
  24. can — to be able to

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