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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · present · kick · current · file · fine · stem · squash

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stem — to come from
  3. present — there
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. current — of water
  7. fine — high quality
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. file — a line of people
  10. present — the time now
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fine — all right
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. last — to go on
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. kick — in football
  19. current — happening now
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. present — a gift

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