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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fall — to drop
  6. swing — music
  7. fall — the season
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. key — in music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. sharp — clever
  20. key — for a lock
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. swing — in golf
  24. root — of a plant

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