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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · scale · rest · rash · row · current · fan · tube

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rest — what's left
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — in music
  7. current — electric
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. current — of water
  11. rash — hasty
  12. tube — the underground
  13. root — of a plant
  14. row — a line
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rest — a break
  18. tube — a container
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. scale — size or range
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rash — a series
  24. current — happening now

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