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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. root — of a word
  3. pit — a hole
  4. prune — to trim
  5. file — a tool
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bore — to drill
  9. file — a document
  10. object — to protest
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. prune — to trim
  14. file — a line of people
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. current — happening now
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pit — in a race
  21. object — a thing
  22. current — electric
  23. object — an aim
  24. root — the cause

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