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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rush — hurry
  4. drill — a practice
  5. root — the cause
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. root — of a word
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. board — to get on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. board — a committee
  16. current — happening now
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. current — of water
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. current — electric
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cell — a phone

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