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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. firm — steady
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. current — happening now
  6. track — a path
  7. firm — a company
  8. current — of water
  9. root — of a word
  10. track — to keep track
  11. clip — to cut
  12. firm — decided
  13. clip — for paper
  14. root — the cause
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. clip — a video
  18. saw — the tool
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. track — a song
  22. current — electric
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. sharp — exactly

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