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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. current — electric
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. craft — boats
  12. current — happening now
  13. kid — child
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. current — of water
  16. craft — a skill
  17. root — of a plant
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pitcher — a jug

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