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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wound — an injury
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wind — moving air
  8. current — happening now
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. squash — the sport
  15. current — of water
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. current — electric
  18. squash — to crush
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wind — moving air
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. game — a match

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