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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: shower · root · face · current · spell · sharp · bore · pound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. face — part of the head
  4. root — of a word
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. root — the cause
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. current — of water
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. spell — magic
  11. shower — rain
  12. spell — letters
  13. current — happening now
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pound — a weight
  16. shower — to wash
  17. current — electric
  18. bore — to tire
  19. root — of a plant
  20. face — to confront
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. spell — a short time
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. face — to point toward

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