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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. craft — boats
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. band — a ring
  9. current — electric
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — a video
  13. lie — to recline
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. craft — a skill
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. band — a music group
  24. clip — for paper

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