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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. march — the month
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. march — music
  8. hand — help
  9. march — the month
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rash — a series
  14. current — happening now
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wax — to grow
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fan — a supporter

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