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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. current — happening now
  3. rock — music
  4. current — of water
  5. toast — bread
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. club — for dancing
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. firm — a company
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cold — not warm
  19. firm — decided
  20. rock — a stone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. current — electric
  23. firm — steady
  24. stem — to come from

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