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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. firm — steady
  4. land — a country
  5. rash — hasty
  6. current — electric
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rash — a series
  10. land — ground
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. firm — decided
  14. current — of water
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. land — to come down
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. face — to confront
  19. lie — to recline
  20. firm — a company
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. root — the cause
  24. current — happening now

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