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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 120 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: fall · rash · calf · root · ground · current · sharp · staff

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. root — of a word
  5. sharp — clever
  6. current — electric
  7. staff — a stick
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. current — of water
  10. root — the cause
  11. ground — crushed
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. root — of a plant
  16. fall — the season
  17. ground — a position
  18. staff — employees
  19. rash — a series
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fall — to drop
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. staff — employees
  24. current — happening now

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