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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stem — to come from
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. current — of water
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. key — in music
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. current — electric
  16. pitch — completely
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. current — happening now
  24. bat — for baseball

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