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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stem — to come from
  6. row — a line
  7. rash — a series
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rock — music
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. current — of water
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bear — the animal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bear — the animal
  22. current — electric
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wind — moving air

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