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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: root · current · mark · lean · ground · sharp · content · face

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lean — to bend
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ground — the earth
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. current — happening now
  11. mark — a trace
  12. current — of water
  13. mark — a grade
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. content — happy
  17. lean — thin
  18. current — electric
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ground — a position
  21. face — to point toward
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. sharp — exactly

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