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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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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. root — of a plant
  3. shower — rain
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wake — a trail
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cap — a lid
  9. root — of a word
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pop — music
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. root — the cause
  16. pop — to visit
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. game — a match
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pop — soda
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cap — of ice

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