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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bank — of a river
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bank — for money
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. swing — in golf
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. current — of water
  18. swing — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. current — electric
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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