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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: cap · current · present · root · cold · straw · pass · fan

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. root — the cause
  3. pass — a permit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. current — electric
  6. root — of a word
  7. present — there
  8. current — of water
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cold — an illness
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cap — a hat
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cold — not warm
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cap — a lid

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