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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fall — to drop
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rock — music
  7. firm — steady
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fall — to drop
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. mate — a partner
  14. firm — decided
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fall — the season
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mate — to breed
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. firm — a company
  24. shower — to wash

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