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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. season — of the year
  3. root — of a word
  4. season — in sport
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bulb — for light
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rest — a break
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rock — music
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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