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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rule — government
  3. root — the cause
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. shower — to wash
  6. root — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. root — of a word
  10. pop — to visit
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pop — music
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fork — in a road
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rule — a law
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pop — soda
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bore — gave birth

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