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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: wound · object · pop · bear · stem · current · firm · present

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. object — a thing
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. object — to protest
  5. stem — to come from
  6. object — an aim
  7. firm — a company
  8. bear — the animal
  9. firm — steady
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pop — music
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. current — electric
  16. pop — soda
  17. current — happening now
  18. wound — an injury
  19. current — of water
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. present — the time now
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pop — to visit

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