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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. shower — rain
  3. current — happening now
  4. root — the cause
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. current — of water
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. shower — to wash
  15. root — of a plant
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. current — electric
  19. can — to be able to
  20. root — of a word
  21. can — a tin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. can — a tin

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