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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: perch · snap · root · stem · current · plane · file · sharp

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. perch — the fish
  3. file — a document
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. root — the cause
  13. current — happening now
  14. sharp — clever
  15. root — of a word
  16. file — a tool
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. snap — to click
  22. current — of water
  23. file — a line of people
  24. root — of a plant

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