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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. current — of water
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. root — of a plant
  6. face — to confront
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. land — to come down
  9. root — of a word
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. current — happening now
  12. land — a country
  13. current — electric
  14. face — to point toward
  15. board — to get on
  16. root — the cause
  17. land — ground
  18. board — a committee
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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