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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. shower — to wash
  3. root — of a word
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rock — a stone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rash — a series
  14. root — the cause
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rash — hasty
  18. current — happening now
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. rock — music
  23. current — electric
  24. shower — rain

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