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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. current — electric
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stand — to bear
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — the cause
  9. last — finally
  10. rash — a series
  11. root — of a word
  12. last — to go on
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. face — part of the head
  23. scale — in music
  24. last — final

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