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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. current — happening now
  5. stem — to come from
  6. track — a song
  7. root — of a word
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — to confront
  12. row — a line
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. swing — music
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. face — to point toward
  19. current — of water
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. swing — to play on
  22. current — electric
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. face — part of the head

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