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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — of a plant
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. root — of a word
  6. swing — in golf
  7. current — electric
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bank — for money
  10. current — of water
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — happening now
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bank — for money
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. swing — music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — the cause
  22. bank — of a river
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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