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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. rock — a stone
  4. shower — rain
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. shower — to wash
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rush — hurry
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. capital — money
  15. root — of a plant
  16. capital — a city
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rock — music
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. row — a line

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