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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — of water
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. spell — magic
  8. prune — to trim
  9. shower — to wash
  10. root — of a word
  11. current — happening now
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. root — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spell — letters
  19. shower — rain
  20. march — the month
  21. current — electric
  22. root — the cause
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. spell — a short time

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