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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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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: root · pound · fall · toast · chair · ruler · wind · current

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. root — of a word
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. toast — bread
  5. root — the cause
  6. chair — a leader
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. root — of a plant
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fall — the season
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pound — a weight
  21. current — electric
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wind — moving air

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