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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: date · clip · current · row · hide · root · face · calf

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. clip — a video
  5. date — the fruit
  6. face — part of the head
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. clip — to cut
  9. row — a line
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — of a plant
  12. current — electric
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. root — of a word
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. clip — for paper
  20. current — happening now
  21. root — the cause
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. hide — animal skin

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