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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. track — a song
  5. band — a ring
  6. fork — in a road
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. track — a path
  15. band — a music group
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stem — to come from
  23. root — the cause
  24. fan — to cool the air

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