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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 116 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: current · last · shower · wave · ruler · net · rash · root

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. net — for catching
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. root — the cause
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rash — a series
  12. last — final
  13. shower — rain
  14. net — after costs
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. current — happening now
  17. last — finally
  18. net — in sport
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. current — of water
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. last — to go on
  24. ruler — for measuring

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