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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. current — electric
  3. shower — rain
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. current — happening now
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. current — of water
  9. object — an aim
  10. pass — a permit
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. object — to protest
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. object — a thing
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wind — to turn a key

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