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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. current — of water
  3. root — of a word
  4. current — electric
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. vault — a safe
  7. root — of a plant
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fall — the season
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bank — for money
  13. current — happening now
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. root — the cause
  19. bank — for money
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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