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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. current — of water
  5. lean — thin
  6. current — happening now
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rash — a series
  11. root — of a word
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. sharp — clever
  14. current — electric
  15. pit — in a race
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rash — hasty
  24. coach — a trainer

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