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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · band · mug · leaves · bay · stem · bat · current

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. band — a ring
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. stem — to come from
  9. band — a music group
  10. current — happening now
  11. deal — to handle
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mug — to rob
  17. current — electric
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mug — a face
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. current — of water

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