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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.

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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: wake · lash · cold · root · current · fine · chair · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cold — not warm
  7. root — the cause
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. root — of a word
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — an illness
  24. current — happening now

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