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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: ground · wave · rash · suit · file · current · spell · root

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. rash — hasty
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rash — a series
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. current — electric
  9. spell — magic
  10. current — of water
  11. ground — crushed
  12. current — happening now
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. spell — letters
  15. root — of a word
  16. file — a document
  17. suit — clothes
  18. root — of a plant
  19. ground — a position
  20. file — a tool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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