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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. mark — a trace
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mark — a grade
  12. shower — to wash
  13. net — after costs
  14. mug — a face
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stand — to bear
  17. net — in sport
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mug — to rob
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hand — help

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