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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. current — happening now
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fall — the season
  6. mine — for digging
  7. charge — in control
  8. kid — child
  9. charge — a price
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. fall — to drop
  14. current — electric
  15. charge — electricity
  16. current — of water
  17. kid — to tease
  18. root — the cause
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. root — of a word
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. prune — to trim
  24. root — of a plant

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