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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stem — to come from
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. root — of a word
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. face — to confront
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ball — a great time
  11. shower — rain
  12. root — the cause
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. current — electric
  17. face — to point toward
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ball — a dance
  23. current — of water
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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