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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: degree · mate · firm · present · lash · current · root · kick

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. current — of water
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mate — a partner
  7. degree — from a university
  8. present — there
  9. current — happening now
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. firm — steady
  15. mate — a friend
  16. firm — decided
  17. mate — to breed
  18. firm — a company
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. root — of a plant
  22. kick — in football
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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