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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. root — the cause
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. field — a subject
  7. drill — army training
  8. field — farmland
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a word
  11. current — of water
  12. can — to be able to
  13. current — electric
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — for sport
  17. drill — a practice
  18. current — happening now
  19. drill — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. root — of a plant
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fall — the season

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