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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. current — happening now
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. root — of a word
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. current — electric
  10. pound — a weight
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. root — the cause
  14. fall — to drop
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rule — government
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rule — a law
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fall — the season

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