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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 116 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: cabinet · root · fall · wound · current · deal · chair · bulb

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. root — the cause
  12. current — of water
  13. fall — the season
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fall — to drop
  22. root — of a word
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. current — electric

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