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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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468
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. root — the cause
  6. bear — the animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. root — of a plant
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tube — a container
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. root — of a word
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. snap — to click

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