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

Word bank: nail · bat · mine · deal · current · stem · mark · wake

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. current — electric
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bat — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. current — happening now
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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