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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. shower — rain
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mine — for digging
  7. root — of a word
  8. mug — to rob
  9. current — of water
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mug — a cup
  15. root — the cause
  16. pass — a permit
  17. degree — an amount
  18. current — happening now
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. current — electric
  22. wound — an injury
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mug — a face

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