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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. root — of a word
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. sharp — clever
  8. current — electric
  9. root — the cause
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stem — to come from
  13. content — happy
  14. bank — for money
  15. content — the amount
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. current — happening now
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. current — of water
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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