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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
468
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: current · root · wake · jam · tube · bowl · key · face

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. face — part of the head
  3. current — of water
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. root — the cause
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. face — to point toward
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. key — in music
  15. wake — a trail
  16. current — electric
  17. face — to confront
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. current — happening now
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bowl — a dish

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