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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mate — a partner
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mate — a friend
  9. shower — rain
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mate — to breed
  14. root — of a word
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. band — a music group
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. root — of a plant
  21. band — a ring
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. ruler — a monarch

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