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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wind — moving air
  4. current — of water
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bat — the animal
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rush — hurry
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. current — electric
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. current — happening now
  17. rock — music
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bank — for money
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bank — for money
  24. rock — to move gently

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