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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · coach · current · last · content · lash · wake · root

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. content — the amount
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. current — happening now
  7. root — of a word
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. face — to confront
  10. current — of water
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. current — electric
  13. last — to go on
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. root — the cause
  16. last — final
  17. content — happy
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. face — part of the head
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. last — finally

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