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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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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: bear · rest · dip · staff · current · stem · wound · racket

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. current — electric
  3. bear — the animal
  4. current — of water
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. staff — employees
  7. rest — what's left
  8. dip — to sink
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — happening now
  18. rest — a break
  19. wound — an injury
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stem — to come from
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. staff — employees

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