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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: wound · net · current · leaves · root · bark · rest · fall

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fall — to drop
  5. root — the cause
  6. rest — a break
  7. net — after costs
  8. fall — the season
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. current — of water
  11. wound — an injury
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. current — happening now
  14. bark — to shout
  15. fall — to drop
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. current — electric
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. root — of a word
  22. net — in sport
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

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