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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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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. root — of a plant
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. root — of a word
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rock — music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. craft — boats
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. shower — to wash
  15. root — the cause
  16. rock — a stone
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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