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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 120 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: present · current · trunk · scale · row · safe · root · cold

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. scale — size or range
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. row — to paddle
  7. present — there
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. present — the time now
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. present — a gift
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. root — the cause
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. current — of water
  23. scale — in music
  24. cold — an illness

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