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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: nail · dip · current · bank · row · fork · root · tear

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. current — electric
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. row — a line
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. current — happening now
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. dip — to sink
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fork — in a road
  18. root — the cause
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. row — to paddle
  22. current — of water
  23. tear — to rip
  24. root — of a word

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