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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. degree — from a university
  3. current — electric
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. root — the cause
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. root — of a word
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lie — to recline
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wax — to grow
  15. current — happening now
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. spring — the season
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. current — of water
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. spring — of water

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