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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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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: fan · row · lie · stem · dip · kick · leaves · current

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. current — happening now
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. dip — to sink
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. current — electric
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. current — of water
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kick — in football
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lie — to recline
  24. kick — with a leg

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