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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.

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: current · tear · craft · squash · stem · ground · bore · swing

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stem — to come from
  7. swing — music
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bore — to tire
  10. current — happening now
  11. squash — to crush
  12. tear — to rip
  13. swing — to play on
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. current — electric
  17. swing — in golf
  18. current — of water
  19. craft — boats
  20. bore — to drill
  21. craft — a skill
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. tear — from crying

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