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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — ground
  4. current — of water
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. root — of a plant
  8. deal — to handle
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. root — the cause
  12. current — happening now
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. land — to come down
  16. hand — help
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. root — of a word
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. land — a country
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. current — electric

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