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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. root — the cause
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rush — hurry
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. root — of a word
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bore — to tire
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bore — to drill
  21. prune — to trim
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bore — gave birth

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