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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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. fall — the season
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bound — tied together
  6. clip — for paper
  7. root — the cause
  8. bound — obliged
  9. fall — to drop
  10. clip — a video
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. roll — a list
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bound — certain
  18. root — of a word
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. race — humankind
  21. clip — to cut
  22. roll — a cake
  23. shower — to wash
  24. race — a contest

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