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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cap — of ice
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. march — music
  5. dip — to sink
  6. current — happening now
  7. cap — a hat
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. march — the month
  12. current — electric
  13. roll — a list
  14. plane — a tool
  15. root — of a plant
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. current — of water
  19. cold — not warm
  20. march — the month
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cap — a lid
  24. roll — a cake

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