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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: last · prune · root · hide · current · content · degree · fan

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. content — happy
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. root — of a plant
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. current — happening now
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. root — the cause
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. root — of a word
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — finally
  24. fan — a supporter

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