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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. field — for sport
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. current — electric
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. current — of water
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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