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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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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. net — for catching
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. root — of a plant
  5. file — a line of people
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — a coil
  11. root — of a word
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. file — a document
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spring — the season
  19. file — a tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — of water
  22. current — of water
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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