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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — to wash
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bound — certain
  9. lean — to bend
  10. root — of a word
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lean — thin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wind — moving air
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wind — moving air
  17. saw — the tool
  18. root — the cause
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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