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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: root · file · arm · wake · current · pass · fall · game

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fall — to drop
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. root — the cause
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. root — of a plant
  13. game — a match
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. current — of water
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. file — a document

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