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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. craft — boats
  5. can — to be able to
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. current — electric
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stem — to come from
  10. firm — steady
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fall — the season
  16. current — of water
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. can — a tin
  20. current — happening now
  21. firm — a company
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. firm — decided

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