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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rush — hurry
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. hand — in cards
  8. current — of water
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. current — electric
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hand — help
  15. current — happening now
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pit — a hole
  18. root — the cause
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. root — of a word
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pit — in a race
  24. face — to confront

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