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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fall — the season
  3. root — the cause
  4. snap — to click
  5. toast — bread
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. date — the fruit
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fall — to drop
  10. game — a match
  11. root — of a word
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. current — happening now
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. root — of a plant
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. current — electric
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fall — to drop
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. current — of water
  24. safe — out of danger

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