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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. shower — rain
  8. fall — to drop
  9. root — of a plant
  10. tube — a container
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. root — the cause
  13. can — a tin
  14. drill — army training
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. drill — a practice
  18. root — of a word
  19. drill — the tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fall — the season
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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