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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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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: root · current · face · bore · rule · sharp · wax · staff

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. staff — employees
  3. sharp — clever
  4. staff — employees
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rule — a law
  13. current — of water
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. face — to confront
  16. root — of a word
  17. bore — to drill
  18. current — happening now
  19. root — the cause
  20. current — electric
  21. face — to point toward
  22. root — of a plant
  23. face — part of the head
  24. sharp — exactly

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