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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. current — of water
  3. court — of law
  4. stem — to come from
  5. current — happening now
  6. lean — thin
  7. root — of a word
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mate — to breed
  10. root — of a plant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bore — to drill
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. court — of a king
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. court — for sport
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. current — electric
  23. mate — a friend
  24. root — the cause

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