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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 120 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 · cue · can · root · bulb · tear · dip · wake

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bulb — for light
  4. root — of a word
  5. current — of water
  6. dip — to sink
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. current — electric
  15. root — the cause
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cue — a hint
  18. current — happening now
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tear — from crying
  24. can — a tin

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