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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. root — of a word
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. current — of water
  16. club — for golf
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. root — the cause
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. tear — to rip

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