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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. root — of a word
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. ground — a position
  7. root — of a plant
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rest — what's left
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bore — to drill
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bore — to tire
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rest — a break
  17. shower — rain
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — crushed
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. root — the cause
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bore — gave birth

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