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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 124 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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. race — a contest
  4. row — a line
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. current — happening now
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. snap — to click
  16. root — the cause
  17. current — of water
  18. row — to paddle
  19. race — the arms race
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. root — of a word
  22. race — humankind
  23. fork — in a road
  24. current — electric

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