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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. root — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. charge — in control
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to click
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. cold — an illness
  15. charge — a price
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — not warm
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. root — of a word
  21. shower — to wash
  22. plane — a tool
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. plane — an aircraft

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