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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — of water
  9. spell — letters
  10. mug — a face
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. spell — magic
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mug — to rob
  19. spell — a short time
  20. last — finally
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  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