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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. current — of water
  3. shower — to wash
  4. band — a music group
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bear — the animal
  7. root — of a plant
  8. current — happening now
  9. pitch — completely
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. suit — to fit
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. shower — rain
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spell — magic
  17. band — a ring
  18. root — the cause
  19. spell — a short time
  20. suit — clothes
  21. current — electric
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. root — of a word
  24. bear — to put up with

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