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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. current — of water
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — rain
  13. root — of a plant
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lie — to recline
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. capital — a city
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. capital — money
  24. pass — a permit

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