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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bound — obliged
  4. root — of a word
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. root — of a plant
  8. current — electric
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wake — a trail
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bound — tied together
  16. present — there
  17. current — happening now
  18. present — the time now
  19. current — of water
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wind — moving air
  22. present — a gift
  23. bound — certain
  24. nail — for a hammer

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