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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. root — the cause
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. dip — to sink
  5. current — electric
  6. rest — what's left
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rest — a break
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. field — for sport
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. current — happening now
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — of a word
  19. field — a subject
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. field — farmland
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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