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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. current — of water
  3. wound — an injury
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. root — of a word
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. root — the cause
  8. current — happening now
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lean — thin
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bore — to drill
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wound — an injury
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. current — electric
  24. lean — to rest against

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