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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · hide · swing · craft · current · row · leaves · court

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. row — a line
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. court — of law
  6. swing — to play on
  7. craft — boats
  8. current — of water
  9. root — the cause
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — music
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. craft — a skill
  15. court — of a king
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. root — of a plant
  18. current — happening now
  19. root — of a word
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. swing — in golf
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. row — to paddle
  24. court — for sport

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