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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. current — electric
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hand — help
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. current — of water
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wake — a trail
  19. squash — the sport
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bulb — for light
  23. current — happening now
  24. wake — before a funeral

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