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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. roll — a list
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. roll — a cake
  18. root — the cause
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. root — of a word
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. perch — the fish

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