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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. root — of a word
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rock — music
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. prune — to trim
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. lie — to recline
  17. root — the cause
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wind — moving air
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lie — an untruth

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