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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · fall · craft · rule · firm · current

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — boats
  3. stem — to come from
  4. firm — a company
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. current — electric
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fall — to drop
  11. current — of water
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. current — happening now
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. fall — the season
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rule — to rule out

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