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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wake — a trail
  5. root — of a plant
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. shower — to wash
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bank — for money
  15. stand — to bear
  16. swing — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. root — the cause
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. shower — rain
  24. root — of a word

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