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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. kick — in football
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pop — music
  7. lean — thin
  8. current — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. root — of a word
  11. row — to paddle
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. row — a line
  14. present — there
  15. root — of a plant
  16. spring — the season
  17. pop — soda
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pop — to visit
  21. root — the cause
  22. current — electric
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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