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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 water is too ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. root — the cause
  8. cold — an illness
  9. root — of a plant
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. current — of water
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cap — a hat
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bore — to tire
  18. root — of a word
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bore — gave birth

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