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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cold — an illness
  5. rush — hurry
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stand — to bear
  11. root — of a plant
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cold — not warm
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. squash — to crush
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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