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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: mate · current · land · rule · cell · wake · mug · root

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rule — a law
  3. land — a country
  4. root — of a plant
  5. land — ground
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. land — to come down
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mate — a partner
  17. root — of a word
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. current — electric
  20. cell — a phone
  21. current — happening now
  22. rule — government
  23. current — of water
  24. root — the cause

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