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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: wave · capital · current · craft · bulb · fall · hand · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bulb — for light
  3. capital — a city
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fall — the season
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fall — to drop
  8. current — electric
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. capital — money
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. current — happening now
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bulb — for light
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. root — of a plant
  20. craft — boats
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. root — the cause
  24. current — of water

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