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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: arm · current · face · root · bat · ground · wake · bulb

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. root — the cause
  6. face — to confront
  7. ground — the earth
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. ground — a position
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. face — to point toward
  16. root — of a plant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. root — of a word
  20. current — happening now
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ground — crushed
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bat — in an idiom

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