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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. sharp — clever
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. current — of water
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. current — happening now
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stem — to come from
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stand — to bear
  24. hide — animal skin

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