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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: fine · root · wake · current · rash · fall · last · jam

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. fall — to drop
  3. current — of water
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. current — electric
  7. last — final
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a word
  11. fine — high quality
  12. last — finally
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rash — hasty
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. root — the cause
  17. current — happening now
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fall — the season
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. fine — all right
  22. rash — a series
  23. wake — a trail
  24. fine — a penalty

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