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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 116 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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. current — electric
  4. root — the cause
  5. current — of water
  6. hand — in cards
  7. dip — to sink
  8. current — happening now
  9. root — of a word
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. saw — the tool

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