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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.

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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: land · firm · current · pop · stem · wake · race · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — music
  3. land — ground
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. current — electric
  7. firm — steady
  8. race — humankind
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. current — of water
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. firm — decided
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. land — a country
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. race — a contest
  17. firm — a company
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pop — soda
  23. current — happening now
  24. land — to come down

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