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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. current — of water
  3. root — the cause
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chair — a leader
  6. current — happening now
  7. root — of a plant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. object — a thing
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. current — electric
  13. object — to protest
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. object — an aim
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. game — a match
  20. root — of a word
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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