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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 124 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. current — of water
  3. firm — decided
  4. current — electric
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. club — for golf
  11. root — of a word
  12. game — a match
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. snap — to click
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. root — of a plant
  18. firm — steady
  19. game — wild animals
  20. current — happening now
  21. club — a group
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. firm — a company
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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