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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. firm — decided
  4. plane — a tool
  5. current — of water
  6. march — music
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. root — the cause
  9. firm — steady
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. present — a gift
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. root — of a plant
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. march — the month
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. march — the month
  24. firm — a company

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