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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
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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: leaves · current · straw · shower · root · staff · cold · pass

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. staff — employees
  5. current — electric
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cold — an illness
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cold — not warm
  13. root — of a word
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. staff — a stick
  17. root — of a plant
  18. staff — employees
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pass — a permit
  23. shower — to wash
  24. cold — the Cold War

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