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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. root — the cause
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. root — of a word
  7. spring — the season
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spring — a coil
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bark — to shout
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. current — of water
  18. drill — army training
  19. spring — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. drill — a practice

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