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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: track · mug · wave · leaves · sharp · current · face · root

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. sharp — clever
  4. current — electric
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. current — of water
  8. track — a song
  9. current — happening now
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mug — to rob
  14. track — a path
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mug — a cup
  18. face — to confront
  19. root — of a plant
  20. track — to keep track
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mug — a face
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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