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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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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: shower · fork · stick · current · root · pass · face · ruler

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — to confront
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. shower — rain
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. root — of a plant
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. root — the cause
  14. face — part of the head
  15. current — of water
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. current — happening now
  19. root — of a word
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. shower — to wash

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