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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. swing — music
  5. mug — a cup
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. swing — in golf
  9. face — to point toward
  10. current — happening now
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. shower — to wash
  15. face — to confront
  16. swing — to play on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. current — of water
  20. mug — a face
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wake — a trail
  23. root — of a word
  24. current — electric

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