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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wind — moving air
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fine — all right
  11. court — for sport
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fine — high quality
  14. court — of a king
  15. stem — to come from
  16. root — the cause
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. root — of a word
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. suit — in cards
  23. root — of a plant
  24. court — of law

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