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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. current — electric
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. pop — soda
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. root — the cause
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pop — music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. arm — part of the body

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