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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. current — of water
  6. track — a path
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. shower — rain
  9. current — electric
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. track — a song
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. root — the cause
  14. pop — music
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. track — to keep track
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. root — of a word
  22. pop — soda
  23. current — happening now
  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