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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. current — electric
  7. root — the cause
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. root — of a word
  18. rock — music
  19. current — of water
  20. root — of a plant
  21. court — for sport
  22. current — happening now
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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