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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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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 · cue · tube · stick · current · shower · leaves · root

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. root — of a word
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — electric
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cue — a signal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. face — to point toward
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. shower — rain
  19. current — happening now
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cue — a hint
  22. shower — to wash
  23. root — the cause
  24. leaves — of a tree

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