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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. key — the most important part
  3. current — electric
  4. rock — music
  5. root — of a word
  6. drill — a practice
  7. dip — to sink
  8. current — of water
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. root — the cause
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. key — for a lock
  16. drill — army training
  17. kick — in football
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rock — a stone
  21. key — in music
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. drill — the tool
  24. root — of a plant

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