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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. current — happening now
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lean — to bend
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. root — of a word
  11. bark — to shout
  12. current — electric
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. capital — a city
  16. root — the cause
  17. rule — a law
  18. spell — a short time
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. capital — money
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bark — of a tree

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